U.S. Central Command has launched a new task force deploying America’s first one-way “suicide drone” squadron in the Middle East, saying the move “sets the conditions for using innovation as a deterrent” as Iran and its proxies escalate low-cost attacks across the region.
CENTCOM announced the activation of Task Force Scorpion Strike on Wednesday, noting the unit was formed four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered a rapid push to field affordable drones under the Pentagon’s broader Drone Dominance initiative. The command said the squadron is already armed with Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones currently operating from an undisclosed Middle East location.
According to CNN, the LUCAS aircraft have “an extensive range” and are designed to fly autonomously using onboard sensors and artificial intelligence. They can be launched from catapults, truck-mounted platforms, mobile ground systems, or with rocket-assisted takeoff — a flexible profile intended to counter the cheap, expendable drones Tehran has distributed to militias from Yemen to Iraq.
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM’s commander, said the deployment reflects a strategic shift. “Equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases U.S. military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors,” he stated.
While CENTCOM avoided detailing the drones’ origins, CNN reported the LUCAS system was developed after U.S. engineers reverse-engineered a damaged Iranian Shahed drone captured several years ago. The Wall Street Journal similarly reported that Arizona-based SpektreWorks produced the FLM-136 by directly modeling it on the Shahed-136 — the same platform Iran and its proxies have used to strike U.S. troops, commercial vessels, and Israeli cities, and the same design Russia has fired by the thousands into Ukraine.
The Journal added that SpektreWorks’ version features a triangular wingspan of just over eight feet and can fly roughly six hours, citing data from the company’s website. The Pentagon says each unit costs about $35,000, dramatically cheaper than legacy systems such as the MQ-9 Reaper, which runs about $16 million per aircraft.
The decision to stand up the squadron comes nearly two years after an Iranian-made drone slammed into Tower 22 in Jordan, killing three American service members — one of dozens of attacks by Tehran-backed groups across the region. U.S. and Israeli forces also intercepted more than 70 drones during Iran’s unprecedented April 2024 barrage on Israel, underscoring the growing threat posed by cheap, one-way munitions.
The new unit is being built by personnel from Special Operations Command Central and aligned with CENTCOM’s Rapid Employment Joint Task Force, launched in September to accelerate the fielding of autonomous and emerging capabilities to deployed forces. The Journal reported the Pentagon aims to eventually field new capabilities on a 60-day cycle, reflecting a dramatic shift away from years-long procurement schedules.
A defense official told CNN that earlier reliance on larger, slower, high-priced platforms “put our forces at a disadvantage” against Iran’s low-cost attack drones — a disadvantage the Pentagon now intends to close with mass-produced, expendable systems modeled on the very platforms Tehran has used to reshape the battlefield.
CENTCOM did not disclose how many drones have already been deployed, saying only that “many” are in service and more are arriving. Images released by the command show rows of delta-wing aircraft staged for launch at an undisclosed Middle Eastern site, visually echoing Iran’s Shahed-131 and Shahed-136.
As drone warfare continues to redefine conflicts from Gaza to Ukraine, U.S. commanders say the launch of America’s first one-way attack drone squadron signals a broader shift toward fast-moving, low-cost strike networks designed to blunt Iran’s expanding drone arsenal.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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