US Defense Department copies Iranian kamikaze drone

The United States has copied and unveiled its own version of Iranian Shahed-136 loitering munition, in a push to expand affordable airpower options for modern battlefields.

News ID: ۲۰۰۱۵۸۶

19 July 2025

Named LUCAS that is an abbreviation for Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), the Kamikaza drone was unveiled during a visit by the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday to an exhibition of multi-domain autonomous systems in the Pentagon.

The Defense Secretary reviewed LUCAS and the display during the visit, according to Defense Blog. The system, developed by Arizona-based defense contractor SpektreWorks, is aimed at delivering a flexible, attritable platform that can support distributed operations across the Indo-Pacific.

SpektreWorks described LUCAS as “a reliable and cost-effective Group 3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) designed to perform in austere conditions with minimal logistical requirements.” The drone’s open architecture allows it to integrate a variety of payloads, offering a modular approach to reconnaissance, strike, and communications support missions.

The unveiling of LUCAS comes amid growing interest in affordable, expendable drones capable of complementing traditional airpower. Iran’s Shahed-series drones have drawn global attention, accoriding to the US media reports.

SpektreWorks confirmed that LUCAS is now successfully tested and ready for production and could be integrated with US and allied forces in the near term./mehr