US clones Iranian one-way attack drone as it builds own kamikaze fleet

The US military has re-created Iran’s Shahed-136 drone in a bid to create it’s own fleet of unmanned one-way kamikaze bombers. On 3 December, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS).

The delivery reportedly came just:

four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed acceleration of the acquisition and fielding of affordable drone technology.

TFSS is designed to quickly deliver low cost and effective drone capabilities into the hands of warfighters.

https://t.co/e7wPknswla

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 3, 2025

Centcom commander Admiral Bradley Cooper said:

This new task force sets the conditions for using innovation as a deterrent. Equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases U.S. military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors.

Bad actors? Well, we can always trust the US military to identify those, can’t we?

US ripped off Iran’s attack drone?

While the US did not frame the new LUCAS drone in these terms, experts are saying the new drones are a straight rip-off of the Iranian Shahed.

Flight Global reported that while the identity of the LUCAS drones remains unknown:

The LUCAS design features a number of similarities to the Shahed-136, including delta wing, rear-mounted propeller and vertical winglets.

The drone is relatively small, operates with a crew of three and can carry missiles. The US military’s required that “autonomous capable flight was also listed as a requirement”.

Massive drone swarms

US Secretary of War has said he want to mass produce drones as part of a Trump administration which is reshaping remote warfare.

The US Miltary.com website reported:

Based on current internal planning and industry documentation, the early production targets are aggressive: approximately 30,000 drones delivered by July 2026, followed by a ramp-up to well over 200,000 units by 2027, with a long-term goal of roughly 300,000 platforms across the services.

The drones are intended to be inexpensive to manufacture and expendable in combat, with initial unit costs around $5,000 and potentially dropping as manufacturing scales.

Arms firms like L3Harris, Anduril Industries, and Lockheed Martin are all working on similar systems.

The use of massed, cheap drones in Ukraine and elsewhere has started to change their role in warfare. What was once a surveillance and assassination weapon, is now also seen as a weapon for both small and large scale bombardment. The UK has been developing its own capacities, a new factory for sea drones recently opened. And British troops are already practicing taking down drone swarms.

Drone assassinations aren’t going away, just look at the current shadow war in the Caribbean. Yet this new type of drone looks like a major component in the future of drone warfare.

Featured image via the Canary