BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Central Command Deploys First Attack Drone Task Force to the Middle East.

The U.S. Department of War announced on December 3 that U.S. Central Command has activated Task Force Scorpion Strike, the first American military unit designed specifically for one-way attack drone operations. Officials say the move reflects a tactical shift toward massed autonomous systems for high-tempo missions in contested regions.

U.S. Central Command has stood up a new military unit, Task Force Scorpion Strike, a unit structured entirely around the employment of one-way attack drones, according to information released by the U.S. Department of War on December 3, 2025. Personnel familiar with the activation said the task force will operate within CENTCOM’s Middle East footprint and will draw from existing U.S. Air Force, Army, and joint unmanned systems expertise. While many U.S. drones have historically focused on surveillance or precision engagements, the new unit is tailored for disposable, rapid strike platforms that can overwhelm defenses or saturate specific targets during short-notice missions.
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Low-cost unmanned combat attack drones operated by U.S. Central Command sit ready on the tarmac at an undisclosed base within CENTCOM’s area of operations, November 23, 2025. These one-way strike drones are part of a newly deployed squadron in the Middle East, aimed at enhancing regional deterrence and rapid-response capabilities. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

Task Force Scorpion Strike is a military unit that integrates personnel and capabilities from U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), Air Force drone operators, and Army software development teams. The unit is designed to serve as a rapid testbed and deployable strike arm for loitering munitions under real-world operational conditions. Its core mission is to deliver scalable, low-cost drone strike capability at the tactical and operational levels, leveraging artificial intelligence, autonomy, and modular launch systems. The first combat-ready squadron under the task force has now been fielded, using the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a family of drones tailored for one-way autonomous strikes.

These systems are built for rapid deployment and can be launched via catapults, vehicle-mounted rails, or rocket-assisted mechanisms, enabling commanders to operate with agility in austere environments. Unlike legacy drones such as the MQ-9 Reaper or RQ-4 Global Hawk, which require significant infrastructure and operator support, LUCAS drones are preprogrammed to loiter, identify targets, and strike with onboard warheads, all in a single-use mission cycle. They are designed to be expendable but effective, optimized for saturating enemy defenses, striking high-value targets, or responding quickly to emerging threats.

“This new task force sets the conditions for using innovation as a deterrent,” said Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. “Equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases U.S. military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors.”

The concept for Scorpion Strike was born out of growing frustration with the slow pace of drone modernization amid adversary gains. Over the past decade, U.S. adversaries, including Iran, Russia, and non-state proxy forces, have demonstrated increasingly effective use of loitering munitions. Iran’s Shahed-131 and 136 drones, for instance, have been exported to Yemen’s Houthis and used by Russian forces in Ukraine with devastating tactical results. These low-cost, hard-to-stop platforms have exposed a critical gap in the U.S. force structure: the lack of an equivalent, cheap, scalable, and tactically relevant unmanned strike capability.

The Pentagon’s traditional drone architecture, centered on expensive platforms and long-lead procurement cycles, has struggled to adapt. That calculus changed earlier this year when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a formal directive to accelerate acquisition and fielding of affordable drone technologies. This resulted in the launch of the Rapid Employment Joint Task Force (RE-JTF) in September, which now oversees the synchronization of capability development across CENTCOM components. Task Force Scorpion Strike is its most tangible output to date.

The development of attack drones within the U.S. armed forces has accelerated since 2022, when Ukraine's successful use of Turkish TB2 drones and improvised first-person-view (FPV) suicide drones reshaped battlefield expectations. Recognizing this shift, the Department of Defense began restructuring acquisition channels through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), launching Project Artemis and other classified drone initiatives to deliver loitering munition capabilities at scale.

LUCAS drones embody the result of that pivot. Designers in both the commercial drone sector and traditional defense primes contributed directly to these systems. They enable operation in GPS-denied environments, leveraging onboard sensors, AI-assisted navigation, and encrypted software to target, even under electronic warfare autonomously. These features make them ideal for the Middle East, where U.S. forces regularly face Iranian jamming and spoofing.

Defense Analysts from Army Recognition Group suggest the move may mark the beginning of a doctrinal transformation across the joint force. For decades, U.S. airpower has been defined by high-cost, high-survivability systems. The success of one-way drones in modern conflicts is now pushing the Pentagon to embrace a different model, one that values affordability, attritability, and mass over legacy dominance. The Scorpion Strike concept could ultimately serve as a framework for regional drone detachments across other combatant commands, from INDOPACOM to AFRICOM, as the United States seeks to harden its forward posture with low-cost strike assets.

With the formal stand-up of this drone squadron, the United States has entered a new phase of drone warfare. It is one shaped not by persistent surveillance or air supremacy, but by speed, saturation, and scalable lethality. And for adversaries watching across the Middle East and beyond, the implications are clear: U.S. forces will not just respond to the drone threat; they now intend to outmatch it.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.