US EditionU.S. Military Uses Kamikaze Drones in Combat for First Time in Iran Strikes
Operation Epic Fury targeted Iranian military sites using $35,000 LUCAS drones for the first time in combat alongside missiles and stealth jets, CENTCOM said.
- On February 28, 2026, U.S. Central Command said Task Force Scorpion Strike used LUCAS drones in combat for the first time during Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
- Task Force Scorpion Strike, set up in December 2025, rapidly deployed LUCAS drones reverse-engineered from Iran's Shahed-136 after widespread use of attack drones pushed an "affordable mass" approach.
- Built by SpektreWorks, the LUCAS drone carries an 18-kilogram payload and was successfully launched from USS Santa Barbara in December.
- Operation Epic Fury targeted IRGC command-and-control and air-defence sites, the Iranian Red Crescent reported more than 200 killed, while U.S. Central Command said no American troops were hurt.
- The deployment, paired with stepped-up production and testing, signals a shift toward "affordable mass" tactics as the U.S. accelerates drone efforts and builds the largest regional force in over 20 years.
140 Articles
140 Articles
The U.S. attacks Iran.
I'm Isaac Saul, and this is Tangle: an independent, nonpartisan, subscriber-supported politics newsletter that summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day — then “my take.”Are you new here? Get free emails to your inbox daily. Would you rather listen? You can find our podcast here.Today’s read: 15 minutes.🪖The U.S. and Israel launch another attack on Iran, and Iran responds. Here's the latest on what'…
The U.S. Army attacked Iran with its own weapons: cheap kamikazedrons. "Lucas" is the name of the copy of the "Shahed" drone, whose forefather comes from Germany. In addition to rockets and distance weapons fired from aircraft, the US's attacks on Iran have also used cheap drones. Until now, such weapons have mainly been used by Iran itself and Russia. The most well-known is the Iranian "Shahed 136". The U.S. had previously relied mainly on expe…
The US is using Iran's own 'one-way' suicide drone against Iran
Some call them “kamikaze” drones, evoking the image of Japanese suicide attacks on the U.S. Navy toward the end of World War II. The U.S. military seems to prefer the unintentionally hilarious term “one-way” drone. No matter what you call it, America’s newest weapon, dubbed the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, or LUCAS drone, is now being employed for the first time ever, according to The War Zone. Also Read: America’s ongoing quest to st…
As the world's largest military power, the US is a leader in the development of new weapons technologies – and knows how to take advantage of this technological advantage. However, an unusually primitive weapon was used for the first time this weekend in the big beheading attack against Iran: Knattiger cheap drones with explosives on board. They must have been known to the regime in Tehran ...
US, Arab Nations Slam Iran's "Unjustified" Drone, Missiles Strikes
The United States and six Arab nations on Monday issued a strongly worded statement condemning Iran's recent missile and drone attacks across West Asia, calling them "indiscriminate", "reckless", and a dangerous escalation.
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