Florida Fisherman Catches Shahed-Like LUCAS Drone

A fishing boat off the coast of Florida, near Eglin Air Force Base, recovered a Shahed-like U.S. military UAV that had been lost during testing.

The War Zone reports on this.

The drone found in the sea is reportedly a LUCAS (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System). A base spokesperson confirmed the loss of a UAV in comments to TWZ but did not specify its exact type.

The drone was discovered by the crew of a Hot Spots Charters fishing boat, who immediately notified the relevant authorities about the find.

Based on the released photos, the UAV is missing its nose section and engine. They may have separated from the fuselage upon impact with the water.

Eglin Air Force Base is home to the 96th Test Wing, which conducts testing and evaluation of various weapons systems.

Given this, the UAV was likely lost during testing conducted by the wing.

LUCAS

LUCAS (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System) is a U.S. strike UAV developed by SpektreWorks. In terms of concept and appearance, the drone resembles the Iranian Shahed-136.

The drone was first publicly unveiled in July 2025, and by March 2026, it had been used in strikes against Iran.

According to U.S. Central Command, a single LUCAS costs approximately $35,000.

The drone can be launched in several ways, including from a catapult, with the aid of a rocket booster, or from ground-based platforms.

According to open-source data, the LUCAS is approximately 3 meters long, with a wingspan of about 2.4 meters. The UAV is powered by a piston engine and has a range of up to approximately 800 km.