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On Dec. 3, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a press release that a new task force for the US military’s first one-way-attack drone squadron based in the Middle East.
CENTCOM launched Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS) 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.
The new task force has already formed a squadron of Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones currently based in the Middle East.
Actually, the DVIDS network already featured the images on Nov. 23, 2025, hence the unit may have been already deployed in November.
LUCAS drones deployed by CENTCOM have an extensive range and are designed to operate autonomously. They can be launched with different mechanisms to include catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground and vehicle systems.
“This new task force sets the conditions for using innovation as a deterrent,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “Equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases U.S. military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors.”
In September, CENTCOM launched the Rapid Employment Joint Task Force (REJTF) led by its chief technology officer to fast-track processes for outfitting deployed forces with emerging capabilities.
The joint task force is coordinating innovation efforts among Service components in three focus areas: capability, software, and tech diplomacy.
TFSS’s efforts to build the one-way-attack drone squadron are led by personnel from Special Operations Command Central and align with REJTF’s capability focus area.
The LUCAS drones were created after developers reverse-engineered a Shahed-136 drone from Iran, which the US captured a few years ago, a US defense official explained to CNN.
The Shahed drones have also been employed by Russia in its attacks on Ukraine.
Kamikaze UAV “Shahed-136” is designed to destroy ground fixed objects by pointing and contact explosion of warheads and UAVs.
In some cases, light-class UAVs are a difficult target for existing radars. These apparatuses have a small effective scattering area, which is why their detection becomes quite a difficult task. In particular, the maximum detection range is reduced. Medium and large UAVs with large geometric dimensions, significant thermal contrasts due to the use of powerful engines 19 internal combustion, carrying cannon and missile-bomb weapons, parabolic satellite dishes, which have a large effective scattering area, represent target for air defense systems. Small-sized UAVs are characterized by small geometric dimensions, low thermal contrast, and flight speed, as well as a small effective scattering plane, which does not allow to ensure sufficient efficiency of their destruction of air defense systems, MANPADS.
Photo credit: U.S. DoD
Dario Leone: All articles
