The United States has unveiled its own low-cost combat drone, designed to rival Iran’s widely used Shahed-136 loitering munition, in a push to expand affordable airpower options for modern battlefields.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday reviewed the new Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) during a display of multi-domain autonomous systems in the Pentagon courtyard. 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.
LUCAS is capable of operating as a target drone or as an optionally powered combat system. It features multiple launch configurations, including Rocket-Assisted Take-Off (RATO) and truck-based deployment, making it suitable for rapid fielding by non-specialized personnel.
The new one-way-attack drone supports autonomous cooperative missions and provides network-centric strike capabilities at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems.
The drone uses an FLM 131 attritable platform and is equipped with highly compatible guidance systems designed to meet stringent size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements. Its payload network enables remote cycling of onboard systems during flight and supports both 28V and 12V power sources.
According to SpektreWorks, LUCAS will also operate as a communications relay within the Multi-domain Unmanned Systems Communications (MUSIC) mesh network. This capability is expected to strengthen secure communications among U.S. and allied forces, particularly in contested environments where traditional networks are vulnerable.
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 for their use in Ukraine and the Middle East, prompting U.S. defense planners to pursue comparable systems with enhanced capabilities and reusability.
Defense analysts say LUCAS could provide U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) with a valuable tool for distributed maritime operations and countering large-scale drone attacks.
SpektreWorks confirmed that LUCAS is now successfully tested and ready for production and could be integrated with U.S. and allied forces in the near term.
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