U.S. uses LUCAS drone for the first time against Iran, a low-cost copy of the Shahed

Washington.- The United States is taking advantage of the massive attacks it has been carrying out since Saturday against Iran to give the baptism of fire to LUCAS, a kamikaze drone that the US Army acknowledges is inspired by the feared Iranian Shahed-136, which Russia uses in large quantities against Ukraine. The Pentagon confirmed that LUCAS (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System) are being deployed in attacks along with strategic bombers, fighter jets, and cruise missiles. The same day that the U.S., along with Israel, launched its first missiles and drones against Iranian targets, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced that it was using kamikaze LUCAS for the first time in history. "These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran's Shahed drones, are now inflicting US-made retaliations," Centcom noted on its social media.

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According to U.S. military authorities, the system is part of a new strategy based on cheap, disposable drones that can be deployed rapidly and in large quantities, a tactic inspired by lessons from the war in Ukraine, where thousands of inexpensive drones are being used by both sides. In its operations in Ukraine, Russia has made the Shahed-136 its preferred attack drone to the point that, while it initially imported the aircraft from Iran, now the Russian Army is producing its own version, called Geran-2 with design transfer and Iranian support.

Features of the Shaded-136

The characteristics of the Shahed-136 are what have led both Russia and the United States to decide to copy its design. Shahed-136 drones are loitering munitions or kamikaze drones designed to fly towards a programmed target and detonate their explosive charge. The device is about 3.5 meters long and 2.5 meters in wingspan, weighs about 200 kilos and can carry an explosive warhead of between 40 and 60 kilos. With a delta wing design, it is powered by a piston engine placed at the rear and has an antenna for the global satellite navigation system, either the American GPS, the Russian Glonass or the Chinese BeiDou. Some experts believe that the aircraft has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers. What has truly made the Shahed-136 a success is its low cost and ease of mass production. Analysts estimate that each unit costs Iran about $20,000, much less than more advanced unmanned systems like the American MQ-9 Reaper, which can cost over $20 million. This difference allows for launching large quantities of drones to saturate enemy air defenses or attack targets simultaneously, a strategy known as "affordable mass" that is gaining more weight in modern military doctrine. The United States adapted that concept to create LUCAS, although with some modifications. The American model has been developed by the American company SpektreWorks using Shahed examples.

Equipped with Starlink Antennas

The LUCAS is somewhat smaller, about three meters long and 2.4 meters wingspan. Visually it is very similar to the Shahed-136. Its range and payload have not been revealed by the U.S. military authorities, who have estimated its unit cost at about $35,000.

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But what seems clear is that the U.S. has multiplied the capabilities of the LUCAS compared to the Shahed-136 or the Geran-2. Canadian military analyst Shahryar Pasandideh has highlighted that the design of the LUCAS is "more modular" than its Iranian counterpart, which would allow it to integrate different payloads or communication and control systems. And, above all, the American LUCAS are equipped with Starlink antennas that allow them to have satellite communication during their operation and control multiple drones simultaneously, something that would expand their operational capabilities compared to the more basic models.