The United States recently used LUCAS kamikaze drones for the first time amid rising tensions with Iran. Now, a U.S. official has described the role of such drones as “indispensable” for future operations in the Middle East.
The information was shared by the website The War Zone, citing a statement by Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) responsible for the Iran war, during a recent briefing.
When asked by TWZ how effective the LUCAS drones have been, given their comparatively low cost and faster and easier production, Cooper responded by stating that it is “indispensable.”
The Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) kamikaze drone is based on the Iranian Shahed-136 drone and was first used about a week ago during Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.
According to Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Navy captain and spokesperson for CENTCOM, each LUCAS drone unit costs $35,000, providing cutting-edge capabilities “at a fraction of the cost of traditional long-range U.S. systems that can deliver similar effects.”
“The drone system has a wide range and the ability to operate beyond line of sight, providing significant capability across the vast CENTCOM area of operations,” he told TWZ in December.
In addition, the design of the LUCAS includes features that allow for “autonomous coordination, making them suitable for swarm tactics and network-centric attacks,” a U.S. official explained to TWZ in December.
Although Iran has already been heavily struck by the United States and Israel, it is unclear how much longer the war will last. According to U.S. President Donald Trump, the conflict could last four to five weeks.
Photo and video: U.S. Central Command / X @clashreport. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper on LUCAS:
LUCAS is indispensable. pic.twitter.com/VaLXmjawA6— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 5, 2026
