United States copies Iranian drone technology: Report
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- US Marines develop low-cost “LUCAS” drone modeled on Iran’s Shahed-136, report says.
- Author warns copying Iranian technology undermines Washington’s narrative of Iranian backwardness.
The United States is reverse-engineering Iranian drone technology, marking a sharp reversal for a country long seen as the world’s leading military innovator, according to The National Interest.
The magazine says recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicles have exposed an unexpected gap, with Washington now borrowing ideas from its rivals rather than setting the pace.
From innovator to imitator
The report argues that the US defense establishment has fallen behind as allies and adversaries alike, including China, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine, poured resources into drone innovation while Washington relied on past advantages.
Read more: 'Israel's' security cabinet approves 19 new settlements in West Bank
The US Marine Corps is developing a low-cost combat drone known as “LUCAS”. He describes the system as a near carbon copy of Iran’s Shahed-136 loitering munition.
Weichert calls the move a historical irony. Iran began its drone program by reverse-engineering a US RQ-170 surveillance aircraft it seized in 2011. Today, he argues, Iranian designs have become effective enough that the US military is now copying them.
LUCAS system details
The LUCAS drone costs about $35,000 per unit. The Pentagon plans to mass-produce it using a strategy inspired by World War II shipbuilding, while integrating artificial intelligence to allow autonomous target identification and strikes.
Read more: US again seizes oil tanker off coast of Venezuela
The author says successful testing now underway in Arizona could lead to deployment across multiple theaters, from the Pacific to Europe.
Strategic implications
The report warns US policymakers that relying on Iranian technology weakens Washington’s long-standing claim that Iran is technologically backward.
It argues that copying Iranian weapons is not simply a defensive response but an implicit acknowledgment of a more capable adversary. That should prompt a reassessment of Iran’s military potential and other advanced systems Tehran may possess.
Iran’s latest Shahed variant
The report notes that Iran has already developed a newer version of the drone, the Shahed-136B, by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force.
This model can fly between 16 and 20 hours with an operational range of up to 4,000 kilometers. It carries a 50-kilogram warhead and uses thermal shielding to reduce its heat signature, improving survivability against air defenses and radar systems.
The report also concludes that the evolution of Iran’s drone program challenges prevailing assumptions in Washington and signals a shifting balance in low-cost, high-impact warfare technology.
