Big attack at low cost! Learning from Russia-Ukraine model, US launched LUCAS in Iran, what is this deadly drone?

Israel-Iran War Update: America While significantly increasing its drone warfare capability, it used its own strategy against Iran for the first time. The US, along with Israel, used the Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a low-cost unilateral attack drone, under Operation Epic Fury.

Iran’s important military bases were targeted in these attacks led by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. Tehran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was also killed in these attacks.

How did America cause huge losses at low cost?

In this operation, America and Israel used mixed category of modern and low-cost weapons. Inexpensive drones were also deployed along with next generation fighter jets and long-range cruise missiles. This is being considered a big step in terms of both strategy and scale.

Under Operation Epic Fury, the US Army used LUCAS drone, which is a one-way ‘kamikaze’ drone. It has been designed on the basis of Iran’s Shahed-136 drone platform. US Central Command (CENTCOM) told X that these low-cost drones have been built on the lines of Iran’s Shahed drone.

What is LUCAS Drone?

LUCAS is designed to be a low cost and single use system. It can be manufactured on a large scale through different manufacturing companies. The cost of a drone is reported to be around $35,000, which is much cheaper than many conventional precision weapons.

This strategy of deploying cheap weapons in large numbers is being called ‘Affordable Mass’, that is, surrounding the enemy with more weapons of lower cost. This strategy has gained more importance considering the effectiveness of drones after the Russia-Ukraine war.

How does LUCAS work?

• LUCAS drone is designed in such a way that it can be easily used for different tasks. According to the need, different types of goods (payload) can be installed or changed in it.
• It can do many things like attacking the enemy, monitoring and helping in communication.
• It can also be used as a target drone for practice during training and can also work as an attack drone in real war.
• The most important thing is that there is no need to be much of a technical expert to run it. Even common soldiers can handle it after some training. Therefore, it is being considered a big and useful weapon in modern warfare.

Which places of Iran were targeted by America and Israel?

According to CENTCOM, Operation Epic Fury targeted command and control centers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.

What is Tomahawk cruise missile that America used?

Tomahawk land attack missiles were also used in the attacks. These are long-range, precision-targeting cruise missiles, which are usually launched from the sea. Tomahawk can hit targets up to a distance of about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers). Its length is approximately 20 feet (6.1 meters), wingspan is 8.5 feet, and weight is approximately 3,330 pounds (1,510 kilograms).

Has Tom Hawk missile been used before?

According to Pentagon budget documents, the US plans to buy 57 Tomahawk missiles in 2026, whose average price is about $1.3 million per missile. Even before this, Tomahawk missiles have been used in attacks on Houthi positions in Yemen.

Were fighter jets used?

Modern fighter aircraft like F-35 and F/A-18 were also involved in the operation. The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, designed to carry precision weapons while avoiding radar. It can also fire missiles targeting enemy radar systems. The F/A-18, manufactured by Boeing, is a multi-role aircraft and can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Different types of bombs and missiles can be installed in it.