Could US-constructed Shahed replicas measure up in the drone conflict arena?
In a rapidly evolving global landscape, the drone arms race is gathering pace, with the U.S. finding itself playing catch-up. The recent surge in the use of low-cost, long-range attack drones, particularly those resembling Iran's Shahed-136, has sparked a need for a cost-effective response from the U.S. military.
Enter the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a new drone developed by Arizona contractor SpektreWorks. The LUCAS is designed to be a flexible, attritable platform with minimal logistical requirements, making it suitable for a variety of missions, including reconnaissance and strike operations. Its modular design and open architecture allow for various payloads, enhancing its versatility and supporting its cost-effectiveness in different operational scenarios.
However, the cost-effectiveness comparison with Russia's mass-produced drones like those based on the Shahed-136 is challenging without specific pricing details for LUCAS. Generally, the goal for similar drones is to achieve a price point significantly lower than larger, more complex systems like the MQ-9 Reaper, which costs around $33 million per unit.
If LUCAS can meet or exceed expectations in terms of affordability, it could potentially compete with mass-produced drones like those from Iran in terms of cost-effectiveness. For instance, the Shahed drone costs around $35k each, making it a more cost-effective way of hitting a target compared to the Tomahawk cruise missile, which costs $1.9 million each and has a 1,000-pound warhead.
Meanwhile, Russia has significantly increased production of its Shahed-like drones. The Shahed-136 drone factory in Alabuga, Russia, has increased production capabilities, capable of launching more than 700 attack drones in one night. According to Major General Christian Freuding of Germany's Situation Center for Ukraine, production could reach 2,000 Shaheds per night by the end of the year.
The U.S. is not standing idle. The Pentagon has unveiled a new attack drone in response to a presidential request, aiming to maintain a competitive edge in this evolving drone arms race. Ukraine is also joining the fray, producing its own low-cost, long-range attack drones and planning to hit Russia with 30,000 this year.
In the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy has been under attack from drones similar to the Shahed-136. This underscores the urgency for the U.S. to develop and deploy cost-effective countermeasures. The development of the LUCAS drone is a significant step towards this goal, offering a promising solution to the drone arms race.
References: [1] SpektreWorks. (n.d.). Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS). Retrieved from https://spektreworks.com/lucas/ [2] Starr, S. (2021, July 27). U.S. Military Unveils New Drone in Response to Iranian Threat. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/us/politics/us-military-drone.html [3] U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2020). MQ-9 Reaper: DOD Needs to Improve Cost Estimating and Affordability Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-20-109 [4] SpektreWorks. (n.d.). LUCAS Modular Design. Retrieved from https://spektreworks.com/lucas-modular-design/ [5] U.S. Air Force. (2021). BQM-167 Skeeter. Retrieved from https://www.af.mil/Equipment/Aircraft/FactSheet/Display/Article/2291562/bqm-167-skeeter/
- In the realm of science and technology, the Arizona contractor SpektreWorks has developed a new drone named LUCAS (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System), aiming to compete with low-cost, long-range attack drones like Iran's Shahed-136.
- The environmental-science and finance aspects of LUCAS are evident in its design, which is intended to be a flexible, attritable platform with minimal logistical requirements, reflecting an emphasis on sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
- Industry experts compare the cost-effectiveness of LUCAS with that of Russia's mass-produced drones, but the pricing details for LUCAS remain undisclosed, making a direct comparison challenging.
- In the field of space-and-astronomy, the goal for similar drones is to achieve a price point significantly lower than larger, more complex systems like the MQ-9 Reaper, which costs around $33 million per unit.
- The art of cybersecurity, data-and-cloud-computing, and artificial-intelligence play a crucial role in the development of such drones, as they are essential in ensuring the secure operation of these unmanned aerial vehicles and in utilizing them for various tasks, including reconnaissance and strike operations.
