Wednesday 04 March 2026 – 11:48 PM
In a remarkable military development that reflects a shift in American armament philosophy, defense reports revealed that the US Army has studied… Iranian drone HESA Shahed 136, before developing a low-cost model inspired by its design, had already entered combat service.
From the battlefield to the development laboratory
The Shahed 136 aircraft, known as a low-cost mobile munition, was widely used in several regional and international conflicts over the past years. After intercepting and shooting down a number of them in various theaters of operations, American military authorities obtained models that underwent technical and engineering analysis.
According to what was announced by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the results of these studies contributed to the development of a new American platform called: Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS).
It is a low-cost attack drone, designed to be capable of rapid mass production, while maintaining the ability to carry out precision strikes.
Military-industrial cooperation
The new system was developed in cooperation with the American defense company SpektreWorks, which worked to redesign the model in accordance with the requirements of the US Army, whether in terms of guidance systems or integration with command and control networks.
Defense reports indicate that the cost of one aircraft is estimated at tens of thousands of dollars, which is a low number compared to traditional medium-altitude, long-range drones.
