The drone, unveiled on Wednesday at the Pentagon’s courtyard during an inspection by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is developed by Arizona-based arms maker SpektreWorks.
The drone was displayed alongside a printed quote of US President Donald Trump, where he cited the need for a US alternative to the Shahed drones based on lessons learned in Ukraine.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“I’m talking about something for $35-40,000 dollars [sic] we can send thousands of them up... They’re very good too. Fast, and deadly. Horrible, actually, when you look what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine,” the quote says, with a printed out screenshot of the video in which he made the statement displayed beneath.
Costing under $50,000 and with a reported range of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles), the Iranian-designed Shahed drone has become Moscow’s weapon of choice for striking Ukrainian cities far behind the front lines.
While the cost of LUCAS has not been disclosed, it features a modular design that allows components to be swapped out depending on the mission – from reconnaissance and communications to precision strikes.
Alongside the displayed drone is a warhead with a camera installed at the nose-tip – likely one of its switchable components.
Recent Shaheds downed in Ukraine showed cameras and communication modules onboard, but these appeared to be improvised additions rather than factory-built features.
Multiple Fuel Terminals and Military Sites Struck in Drone Attack on Crimea
Defence Blog, which reported the unveiling of LUCAS, said the drones can also function as communication relays via Multi-domain Unmanned Systems Communications (MUSIC), a network architecture developed by communications company Viasat to enable communication across various unmanned platforms.
The publication said LUCAS can also be launched from different platforms, including Rocket-Assisted Take-Off (RATO) and truck-based catapults.
In a LinkedIn video that appears to show a LUCAS prototype launched via RATO, SpektreWorks described it as a “modular, Group 3 unmanned aircraft system.”
The Pentagon designates Group 3 drones as those weighing between 55 pounds (25 kilograms) and 1,350 pounds (612 kilograms).
The video was published two months prior to the unveiling, in which the company said it had received an award from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) and thanked the agency for its assistance in bolstering the drone’s development.
“This award will accelerate our work delivering modular, Group 3 unmanned aircraft systems designed for rapid integration of advanced capabilities. It’s a major vote of confidence in our team and our technology – and an exciting step toward transitioning critical capabilities into the hands of the warfighter,” the update says.
It is likely powered by an internal combustion engine at the rear similar to the Russian/Iranian Shaheds, according to the prototype seen in the video.
In true US military fashion, the drone’s name is a backronym that stands for Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), according to Defence Blog.
The company’s site – which was not working at the time of publication – shows it has four drones on offer, with LUCAS shown under the model name FLM-136 – likely a dig at the Iranian Shahed-136 model designation.
SpektreWorks said the drone is “engineered for authentic threat emulation with broad performance capabilities and multiple launch options.”
The publication, citing the company, said the drone has undergone successful testing and is ready for production.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
