LUCAS Vs Shahed: The Battle Of The Billion-Dollar Drone Swarms
You have heard about drones. Small flying machines. But what if a drone could fly for six hours, stay hidden in the sky, and then suddenly dive down and destroy a missile launcher or a fuel depot — without a single pilot sitting inside it? That is exactly what America just did. And the most interesting part? America learned this trick from Iran.
Let us understand the full story, simply.
What is LUCAS?
LUCAS stands for Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System. The commercial name is FLM-136, built by an American company called SpektreWorks, based in Arizona. It is what military people call a "loitering munition." Now, loitering means waiting around. So imagine a drone that flies into enemy territory, circles slowly in the sky like a hawk watching its prey, and then — at the right moment — dives and strikes. No pilot. No runway needed. Just launch and forget.
America used this drone in something called "Operation Epic Fury," a joint military campaign with Israel, targeting Iranian military infrastructure. This was not a test. This was a real war mission. According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), LUCAS was deployed by Task Force Scorpion Strike, marking its first combat use in history. The drone, costing around $35,000 per unit, provides a scalable, low-cost alternative to expensive cruise missiles like the Tomahawk, which can run over $2 million each.
Now, What is Shahed-136?
Shahed-136 is Iran's drone. Iran built it because of international sanctions — the world refused to sell Iran advanced weapons, so Iran built its own. These drones are not fancy. They are deliberately cheap, with estimates ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 per unit. The whole idea is not to be powerful — it is to be many. Send hundreds of cheap drones, and even the best air defence system in the world gets tired, confused, and eventually fails. It is like being attacked by a thousand mosquitoes instead of one lion. You cannot kill all of them.
Iran first used its Shahed-131 version in 2019, attacking a Saudi oil refinery. Then Iran-backed groups like the Houthis in Yemen started using them. Then Russia began using Shahed drones against Ukraine. Ukraine's President Zelensky was so angry he called Iran "Putin's accomplice," saying Iran not only gave Russia the drones but also taught them how to build the drones themselves inside Russia. The Shahed-136, with a range of up to 2,000 km and a 40–50 kg warhead, has been produced in thousands, reshaping modern warfare by enabling swarm attacks that overwhelm defenses.
The Smartest Move America Made
Here is where it gets really interesting. After seeing how effective these cheap Iranian drones were on the battlefield, America secretly captured some Shahed-136 drones. American engineers then studied every part of it — the engine, the wings, the navigation system, everything. They reversed the design, understood it fully, rebuilt it, and then improved it. The result? LUCAS.
So America took Iran's own weapon idea, made it better, and is now using it against Iran. That is the irony of modern warfare. Interestingly, the Shahed-136 itself draws design inspirations from Israel's Harpy loitering munition from the 1990s, showing how drone technology often cycles through global borrowing and adaptation. SpektreWorks, under a rapid $30 million contract, transformed their FLM-136 target drone—originally for counter-drone training—into the combat-ready LUCAS in just seven months from unveiling to deployment.
How Powerful is LUCAS?
The drone is about 3 metres long with a wingspan of 2.5 metres. It weighs around 32 kg when empty and 82 kg fully loaded. It runs on a simple 215cc engine — similar in size to a small motorcycle engine. But do not let that fool you.
It can fly for six hours continuously. Its normal speed is about 101 km/h, but during the final attack dive it speeds up to 185 km/h. It can fly above 3,000 metres altitude, which keeps it safely above many short-range anti-drone systems. Its range is about 648 km — meaning it can be launched from a safe location far away and still reach deep inside enemy territory. Some reports indicate a maximum range of up to 822 km, making it suitable for operations across vast areas like the Middle East.
In attack mode, it carries up to 18 kg of explosive warhead. It can destroy radar systems, missile launchers, fuel depots, and reinforced command buildings. When it attacks, it switches from a slow hover to a steep, fast dive — giving the target almost no time to respond.
What makes it even harder to stop is its navigation system. LUCAS uses autonomous guidance with inertial backup, meaning even if the enemy tries to jam its GPS signal, the drone can still find its target. Jamming — which is an enemy's way of confusing a drone electronically — does not work easily on LUCAS. It can also integrate with satellite communications like Starlink for real-time control and swarm coordination, allowing multiple drones to share data and adapt mid-mission.
And most remarkably, in December 2025, America successfully launched LUCAS from a naval warship called USS Santa Barbara, while it was sailing in the Arabian Gulf. No runway. Just an air-powered launcher on the ship's deck. This versatility extends to ground catapults or truck-mounted systems, enabling launches from diverse platforms.
Why Does This Matter?
The big message is simple. Expensive jets and missiles are not always the answer. Sometimes, a hundred cheap smart drones can do more damage with less risk. America realised this watching Iran, Russia, and the Houthis. Now America has its own version — better built, harder to jam, and ready for the modern battlefield. With LUCAS, the U.S. can sustain "swarm-style" attacks, exposing gaps in enemy defenses like Iran's road-mobile air systems. This shift highlights how attritable drones are democratizing warfare, forcing even superpowers to adapt.
War is changing. And the drone that was once Iran's weapon of the poor has now become America's weapon of the smart.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
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Karnataka bypolls: BJP criticism driven by ‘fear of defeat’, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bagalkote (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the BJP’s criticism of the Congress government reflects a "fear of defeat" ahead of the April 9 bypolls.
He added that the state’s guarantee schemes are an investment in social commitment and inclusive development.
Speaking to reporters in Bagalkote, he expressed confidence that the Congress would win both bypoll-bound constituencies, adding that the campaign has received an unprecedented response, surpassing expectations.
The bypolls were necessitated by the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented the Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies, respectively.
"We have provided schemes for people belonging to all castes, religions, and languages. The BJP is opposing the guarantee schemes out of fear of defeat, but these guarantees are an investment that delivers social commitment. This, too, is development," Siddaramaiah said.
The guarantee schemes are ‘Shakti’, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’, ‘Gruha Jyoti’, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ and ‘Anna Bhagya’.
He added that development is not limited to physical infrastructure.
"Development does not mean only roads, bridges, and buildings. It also includes providing economic and social security," he said.
The CM stated that the BJP has opposed welfare measures since their inception and rejected claims that the state’s finances are under strain.
Referring to remarks by PM Narendra Modi and others, he said, "They (BJP leaders) have been claiming that the state will go bankrupt. However, guarantee schemes have been in force for the past three years, and till March 24, 2026, Rs 1.31 lakh crore has been spent on them." He maintained that spending on key sectors has not been curtailed.
"While Rs 42,000 crore was spent last year, more than Rs 44,000 crore is being spent this year," Siddaramaiah said, adding that expenditure on irrigation, public works, rural development, drinking water, policing, and SCSP/TSP schemes has not been reduced.
Development works have not slowed down, he added.
Accusing the BJP of running a smear campaign, Siddaramaiah said that allegations of excessive borrowing were "false propaganda".
"Saying that I have taken excessive loans is a blatant lie. We have not violated the norms of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and have maintained fiscal discipline," Siddaramaiah said.
Further, the CM advised BJP leaders to properly read the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
"The fiscal deficit should be within 3 per cent of GDP, and debt within 25 per cent of GDP. Our debt stands at 24.94 per cent, so it has not exceeded the limit," he said.
Stressing adherence to fiscal norms, he added that no state can borrow indiscriminately, as borrowing limits are fixed by the Union Finance Ministry.
He also claimed that Karnataka’s economic performance is stronger than that of the Centre.
Stating that the Centre’s GDP growth is 7.14 per cent while Karnataka’s is 8.1 per cent, Siddaramaiah said the state has outperformed the union government.
Drawing a comparison on public debt, he said that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and cumulatively since Independence, total debt stood at Rs 53.11 lakh crore, which has risen to Rs 218 lakh crore by March 2026.
He alleged that in the past 12 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone has added Rs 165 lakh crore in debt.
The CM criticised the BJP’s track record in the state, saying it failed to deliver on its promises despite being in power for nine years.
"Out of 165 promises made in the Congress manifesto in 2013, 158 were fulfilled. The BJP has not even fulfilled 10 per cent of its promises. They should speak the truth before the people during elections instead of spreading lies," he said.
In addition, he urged the BJP to highlight its own achievements instead of criticising Congress.
"During my tenure, the quantity of rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme was increased, which the BJP government later reduced. It was the Congress-led central government that implemented the Food Security Act, the Right to Work, and the Right to Education," he said.
Taking a swipe at the opposition’s campaign strategy, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP had stooped to a low level by using expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for campaigning.
"They have resorted to such acts out of fear of defeat. We will not react to statements of the opposition; we will present the work of the government before the people," he added.
