AI-Summary – News For Tomorrow
Task Force Scorpion Strike has launched a squadron of low-cost, autonomous attack drones resembling Iranian Shahed drones. This follows the Defense Secretary’s plan to invest $1 billion over two years in producing hundreds of thousands of similar drones, integral to modern warfare. These LUCAS drones, launched via catapult, rocket, or mobile systems, boast long ranges and autonomous features. CENTCOM emphasizes this shows US military innovation, deterring adversaries. The drones are American-made alternatives to loitering munitions like the Shahed-136, offering a low-cost threat emulator, and Trump administration had prioritized drone production to compete with rivals.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
Task Force Scorpion Strike set up a squadron of Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System drones, which resemble Iranian-designed Shahed drones.
News of the one-way attack drone task force comes just one day after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared his “drone dominance” plan envisioning a $1 billion investment over two years in production and fielding of hundreds of thousands of cheap attack drones, increasingly an integral part of modern warfare.
The LUCAS drones boast long ranges and have autonomous features, CENTCOM said, and can be launched from catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground and vehicle systems.
In the announcement on the task force, Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM’s commander, said that “equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases US military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors.”
Video footage shared by the command showed many of the drones sitting on a tarmac at an undisclosed location in the region.
Over a dozen prototype low-cost attack drone designs were on display at the Pentagon this past July. These drones are American-made alternatives to loitering munitions like Iran’s Shahed-136, one of several one-way attack drones that Russia has used against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure throughout the war.
During the display at the Pentagon in July, a fact sheet paired with a design from American engineering firm SpektreWorks said the Shahed-style LUCAS could be useful for US forces in the Indo-Pacific region by “providing a viable threat emulator” and offering “a low operational and maintenance cost compared to traditional munitions systems or aircraft.”
The Trump administration has made boosting production of drones a top priority in order to keep up with adversaries like Russia and China, as well as meet the increasing threat drones present in modern warfare.
In May, President Donald Trump praised the cost of Iranian drones, roughly $35,000 to $40,000, adding that the drones were “very good too, and fast and deadly,” and were responsible for “killing tremendous numbers of people” in the Ukraine war.
