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U.S. Navy Pioneers LUCAS Drone Ship Launch Ushering in Era of Autonomous One-Way Maritime Strikes.
The U.S. Navy has completed its first-ever at-sea launch of a one-way attack drone from a surface combatant in the Arabian Gulf, using the LUCAS system aboard USS Santa Barbara. The test signals a rapid shift toward operational unmanned strike capabilities as drone warfare becomes a central feature of regional deterrence.
On December 16, 2025, in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, the U.S. Navy conducted its first-ever launch of a one-way attack drone from a surface combatant, as reported by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet through the DVIDS portal. The Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) launched a Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) from its flight deck, turning a concept that had been discussed for years into an operational reality at sea. The test comes shortly after the U.S. military announced the deployment of its first one-way attack drone squadron to the Middle East, underscoring the speed at which unmanned strike capabilities are being integrated into frontline forces. In a region where drone and missile attacks on maritime traffic have become a recurring feature of the security landscape, this new step is designed to provide deployed commanders with additional, flexible tools for deterrence and response.
The U.S. Navy has conducted its first-ever at-sea launch of a one-way LUCAS attack drone from a surface warship in the Arabian Gulf, marking a significant step toward operational ship-based unmanned strike capabilities in a high-threat maritime region (Picture Source: DVIDS)
The launch from USS Santa Barbara was executed by Task Force 59, NAVCENT’s specialised formation for unmanned and autonomous systems, using a LUCAS platform assigned to the newly established Task Force Scorpion Strike. Imagery released by the U.S. Navy shows the drone leaving the ship’s flight deck and climbing out over the Arabian Gulf, demonstrating that the system can operate from standard naval aviation facilities without major modifications to the host vessel. For the Independence-class littoral combat ship, whose large flight deck is normally used for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, the successful firing of a one-way attack drone confirms that these ships can serve as mobile launch pads for long-range expendable strike assets in confined and contested waters. The fact that this first at-sea employment took place in the Arabian Gulf, in proximity to strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, gives the event an immediate operational resonance.
LUCAS itself is designed as an affordable, one-way attack drone, intended to provide a long-range precision strike option at a fraction of the cost of traditional missiles or crewed aircraft sorties. The platform is configured to cover extensive ranges and can be launched by different mechanisms, including catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground or vehicle systems, as highlighted by the U.S. Navy. This flexibility of employment allows the same family of drones to be deployed from land bases, vehicles or ships, giving planners a common, modular tool that can be adapted to different missions and environments. By relying heavily on simple, robust design and cost-controlled components, LUCAS is meant to reverse the cost dynamics imposed in recent years by the proliferation of low-cost loitering munitions and one-way attack drones used by state and non-state actors across the broader Middle East.
Before its arrival on board USS Santa Barbara, LUCAS underwent an intensive test and evaluation campaign on land, including trials at U.S. ranges earlier in 2025 with the Marine Corps acting as a sponsoring service. These tests focused on reliability, launch procedures and integration into combined-arms concepts alongside artillery and manoeuvre forces, ensuring that the platform could be employed in a wider range of operational scenarios. In parallel, U.S. Central Command announced on December 3 the creation and deployment of Task Force Scorpion Strike, the first dedicated one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East, formalising LUCAS as a theatre-level capability rather than an experimental system. The progression from land-based trials to forward deployment and now shipboard launch in the Arabian Gulf within a short timeframe illustrates the accelerated acquisition and fielding approach adopted for low-cost autonomous systems, where operational feedback is incorporated directly into the development cycle.
At the tactical level, the Santa Barbara launch is significant because it extends the use of LUCAS from static or land-based positions to mobile naval platforms that can manoeuvre close to areas of interest. For a ship’s command team, carrying a stock of expendable attack drones on the flight deck opens new options: probing and mapping hostile air defences, striking fixed infrastructure on shore, harassing surface groups, or adding supplementary attack axes in combination with crewed aircraft and conventional missiles. Integrated into Task Force 59’s wider unmanned architecture, LUCAS can also be networked with unmanned surface and subsurface systems already operating in the region, creating coordinated surveillance and strike chains at relatively low cost. For the littoral combat ship class, whose future roles have sometimes been debated, this kind of unmanned employment offers a way to leverage its aviation facilities and internal volume for missions closely aligned with contemporary threat patterns.
Strategically, the at-sea use of LUCAS in the Arabian Gulf sends a clear message to both partners and competitors. NAVCENT / U.S. 5th Fleet operates across an area of responsibility covering roughly 2.5 million square miles, including the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean, as well as three key maritime chokepoints: the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. In these waters, commercial shipping and naval units have repeatedly been targeted by missiles and drones launched from land or small boats. Demonstrating that the United States can field its own long-range, low-cost one-way attack drones from forward-deployed warships signals that Washington is prepared to respond to such tactics with tools that are both technically adapted and economically sustainable. For regional partners, the test confirms that the U.S. presence is evolving in line with the realities of drone-saturated warfare and could pave the way for closer cooperation and, potentially, derivative capabilities for allied navies.
Beyond the immediate technical milestone, the first shipboard launch of a LUCAS drone in the Middle East marks the beginning of a new phase in naval operations within the U.S. Central Command theatre. As Task Force Scorpion Strike matures and other platforms experiment with carrying and employing these systems, operational concepts in the region are likely to evolve toward a greater emphasis on mass, persistence and redundancy rather than a small inventory of high-value platforms alone. For actors who have relied on cheap one-way drones to pressure maritime traffic and U.S. forces, the emergence of a comparable American capability at sea complicates planning and raises the potential cost of escalation. For U.S. commanders and regional partners, it offers an additional instrument to protect vital sea lines of communication, reinforce deterrence and influence the behaviour of hostile actors across some of the world’s most strategically sensitive maritime corridors.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.