The Shahed Effect: Development of the LUCAS Attack UAV for the US Army
In the middle of last year, the Pentagon first presented a promising strike Drone LUCAS. It has been tested and entered service with the US Army. These UAVs were recently used against Iran during Operation Epic Fury. However, much information about the project remained classified.
According to new data
On April 9, 2026, the American publication The War Zone published an interview with Michael S. Horowitz. From 2022 to 24, he served as Under Secretary of Defense for Capabilities Development under Lloyd Austin and also led the Emerging Capabilities Policy Office. Horowitz later left the department and currently holds other positions.
While working at the Pentagon, he and his staff studied promising projects and made decisions. It was he who facilitated the emergence and development of the LUCAS project, which yielded the expected results.
In an interview, the former deputy minister explained how the LUCAS project came about and when work began. For obvious reasons, he refrained from disclosing the bulk of the technical information, which remains classified.
A forward-looking concept
According to M. Horowitz, in early 2024, American specialists received the Russian Geran-2 attack UAV, a derivative of the Iranian Shahed-136. By this time, the Pentagon was aware of the use of such technology and had assessed its potential. The Office of Advanced Capabilities Policy began studying the possibility of copying such UAVs or creating analogs.
The initiative comes amid the Pentagon's long-standing fascination with expensive high-precision weapons, which is produced in limited quantities. The Shahed-136 demonstrated that drones can be inexpensive and mass-produced.
Curiously, the new concept encountered no resistance. ECPO easily secured funding and, with the help of related organizations, began work. However, the project's budget was quite modest by Pentagon standards—only tens of millions of dollars.
Engineers considered options for a simplified drone. The best proposal was to copy the Iranian/Russian design with some modifications. Horowitz noted that foreign designers had already perfected theirs. UAV perfection, and there was no point in redesigning it. However, the finished design had to be adapted using available materials and components.
This approach was implemented by Arizona-based SpektreWorks. Their project was designated LUCAS (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System). The drone was later fielded under this name.
Technology and people
Work on the UAV began at the end of Joseph Biden's presidency, under Secretary Lloyd Austin. A few months later, Donald Trump became president, and Pete Hegseth became Pentagon chief. According to M. Horowitz, these changes did not affect the project's progress.
At the initial stage, the LUCAS project was assisted by Deputy Secretary M. Horowitz. Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks was also convinced of its potential, and she also supported the initiative. Assistant Deputy Secretary for Prototypes Alex Lovett played a significant role.
The change in leadership could have negatively impacted the development. However, Alex Lovett, who retained his post, convinced the new secretary of the need to continue the work. Pete Hegseth and the entire Trump team responded positively to the project.
M. Horowitz also noted the role of U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). This organization is always interested in advanced developments. The command provided assistance and subsequently pioneered the development of LUCAS for combat use.
For mass production
In interviews, M. Horowitz repeatedly discussed the cost of the LUCAS program and the price of a production drone. In this regard, the new drone surpasses all other US strike assets.
LUCAS's development cost only tens of millions of dollars. It took less than two years from initial development to combat deployment. This surpasses many other modern American developments.
The production units are also low-cost, although the exact price is not disclosed. Horowitz indicated that 400 winged missiles The Tomahawk is equivalent in price to 46 LUCAS drones. This means that an attack drone costs no more than $15–$20.
Mass production of such drones will allow for faster stockpiling and acquisition of combat capabilities. Although LUCAS is inferior to the Tomahawk missile in several respects, its mass production and low cost could prove decisive in certain circumstances.
The LUCAS project employed a curious organizational solution. Although the drone was developed by a private company, SpektreWorks, all rights belong to the Pentagon. This allows for production to be contracted out to various companies and quickly expanded as needed.
Combat potential
The former deputy minister also assessed the combat capabilities of the new attack drone. These depend directly on production volumes and mass deployment.
The LUCAS drone is a fairly accurate weapon. However, it is not invulnerable to systems. DefenseHowever, the widespread use of such UAVs would overwhelm enemy air defenses, and some would be able to reach their targets. This is precisely how Russia uses these drones, and they demonstrate successful results.
Horowitz also noted the potential for further development. LUCAS can be equipped with various instruments, including optical-electronic target acquisition systems. Depending on the hardware and software, the drone can attack stationary or moving targets.
In a conversation, TWZ journalists raised the possibility of using LUCAS against an adversary like China. The former deputy minister suggests that mass-produced and inexpensive drones could help organize attacks from multiple directions and "fill the airspace with munitions." This would pose a serious challenge to the adversary's defenses and increase the likelihood of successful strikes.
New approach
Thus, the Pentagon tested new weapons design principles, different from those adopted in recent decades. In the LUCAS project, cost and design simplicity were paramount, negotiating the tactical and technical characteristics. To achieve this, they abandoned the development of a new prototype and copied an existing design.
This approach, which had not been used by the Pentagon, dramatically accelerated the development of the new UAV and reduced costs. Less than two years passed from Pentagon specialists' first encounter with a foreign drone to the combat use of their own LUCAS. Meanwhile, development and production costs remained low.
LUCAS recently completed all required testing and entered service. It has also already seen combat use. Now the Pentagon must analyze the accumulated experience. It will determine whether the low-cost drone concept has proven itself and whether it is worth pursuing in the future. After that, it will be clear what contribution M. Horowitz and his colleagues have made to the military's development.
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