ALWAGHT- The United States has replicated and introduced its own variant of the Iranian Shahed-136 loitering munition, aiming to broaden cost-effective airpower capabilities for contemporary warfare.
Named LUCAS, an acronym for Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, the kamikaze drone was unveiled during Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s visit on Wednesday to an exhibition of multi-domain autonomous systems at the Pentagon.
According to Defense Blog, the Defense Secretary reviewed LUCAS and other exhibits during his visit. Developed by Arizona-based defense contractor SpektreWorks, LUCAS is designed as a flexible, expendable platform to support distributed operations across the Indo-Pacific region. SpektreWorks describes it as “a reliable and cost-effective Group 3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) built to operate in austere environments with minimal logistical support.” Its open architecture enables integration of various payloads, allowing modular capabilities for reconnaissance, strike, and communication missions.
The introduction of LUCAS reflects the growing demand for affordable, expendable drones to supplement traditional airpower, especially in light of global attention on Iran’s Shahed-series drones. SpektreWorks has confirmed that LUCAS has successfully completed testing, is ready for production, and could soon be deployed with US and allied forces.
