US plans mass production of LUCAS drones inspired by Iran's Shahed

The US Department of Defence plans to begin mass production of LUCAS drones, modelled after the Iranian Shahed kamikaze drone, Deputy Secretary of Defence Emil Michael said at a conference in Washington.

Michael explained that the goal is to enable large-scale production within the United States and allow rapid scaling of output, Bloomberg reports.

He added that the drones perform “very well” and are a “useful tool in the arsenal.”

Earlier in March, the Pentagon confirmed the use of similar drones in US operations against Iran. 

The one-way LUCAS attack drones are estimated at around $55,000 each and can potentially travel over 400 nautical miles. The goal is to substitute the pricier US cruise missiles, which can cost millions apiece.

By Jeyhun Aghazada