Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System
| Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System | |
|---|---|
Several LUCAS drones in November 2025 | |
| Type | One-way attack drone |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2025–present |
| Used by | United States Armed Forces |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | SpektreWorks |
| Developed from | HESA Shahed 136 |
| Unit cost | $35,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Wingspan | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Engine | 215cc carbureted internal-combustion engine |
Operational range | 500 mi (800 km) |
The Low-cost Uncrewed (Unmanned) Combat Attack System (LUCAS) is a one-way attack drone developed for the United States Armed Forces by U.S. defense contractor SpektreWorks. It utilizes technology developed from the reverse engineering of the Iranian-designed HESA Shahed 136. LUCAS is similar in appearance to the Shahed 136, albeit slightly smaller at about 10 feet long and with a wingspan of about eight feet. LUCAS is designed to be mass-producible at scale for low cost compared to more expensive conventional munitions; U.S. CENTCOM revealed the cost of the drone to be $35,000 per unit.
LUCAS was first revealed in July 2025, and the first operational squadron was deployed in the Middle East in December 2025. According to OSINT researchers, LUCAS was first used on January 3, 2026 as part of Operation Absolute Resolve. LUCAS's first officially confirmed use was in February 2026, against the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces during the 2026 Iran War.
LUCAS has been positioned as a counter to low-cost drone swarms used by adversaries such as Iran and its proxies, as well as Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.