Middle East-deployed US Navy ship employs attack drone for first time
A Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System one-way attack drone, like those shown here on a tarmac at a US Central Command base, was launched from a littoral combat ship. (US Department of Defense)
Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) launched the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) one-way attack drone in the Gulf, the first such launch from a ship at sea, the US Navy (USN) confirmed on 16 December.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the deployment of the US military's first one-way-attack drone squadron to the Middle East on 3 December. The LUCAS drone that took off from Santa Barbara is part of the Task Force Scorpion Strike squadron, the USN said.
LUCAS platforms operated by US forces in the Middle East can be launched with different mechanisms including catapults, rocket-assisted take-off, and mobile ground and vehicle systems, the USN said.
“This first successful launch of LUCAS from a naval vessel marks a significant milestone in rapidly delivering affordable and effective unmanned capabilities,” said Vice Admiral Curt Renshaw, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command/US Fifth Fleet (NAVCENT/C5F).
For more information on US efforts to develop more unmanned operations, please see US Task Force 66 capturing unmanned lessons learned from Ukrainian operation .
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