Iran’s military announced it shot down a Lucas unmanned aerial vehicle over Bandar Abbas. Tehran claims the aircraft was copied from its Shahed-136 design by the United States. The incident occurs with regional tensions high and U.S. military preparations underway in the Middle East.
Iran Reports Downing a Lucas UAV Over Bandar Abbas
Iran’s military announced the downing of a Lucas unmanned aerial vehicle over the airspace of Bandar Abbas. According to the military’s announcement, the drone was copying from Iran using a design originally derived from the Shahed-136 model.
Photographs published by the Iranian military display several wreckage pieces arranged nearly intact on the ground, featuring a propeller piston engine located at the tail.
The military’s statement did not specify the target of the drone when it was intercepted. Washington may have developed a reconnaissance variant of the Lucas, comparable to Russia’s modifications of the Geran series. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, has not commented on the event.
Trump Signals Strikes as Araghchi Defies Washington
Donald Trump stated on October 24 that the U.S. could strike Iran right tomorrow or secure a major agreement with the nation. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that the carrier air wing assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington is preparing for escalation.
Abbas Araghchi maintained that Tehran will not alter its stance regardless of U.S. actions. If they want to try again, they know that the result will not be different from previous times,
Araghchi said.
If they want to try again, they know that the result will not be different from previous times.
Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of Iran
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated in July that it shot down a Lucas drone over Bandar Abbas. The IRGC reported shooting down an armed American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz on October 20.
Iran Attributes the Lucas UAV to Shahed-136 Reverse Engineering
The Lucas UAV was built through reverse engineering based on Iran’s Shahed-136. The program’s objective was to create a low-cost, mass-producible drone capable of saturating opposing air defense networks through sheer volume. Each unit costs approximately 35,000 USD, offering a cheaper alternative to traditional missiles with comparable ranges.
| Metric | Specification |
|---|---|
| Flight Range | 650-800 km |
| Endurance | 6 hours |
| Payload Capacity | 18 kg |
| Maximum Takeoff Weight | 80 kg |
| Estimated Cost per Unit | 35,000 USD |
Current conflicts in the Middle East mark the first combat deployment of the Lucas platform. Large numbers were launched against targets inside Iran during the opening phase of the conflict.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper previously described the Lucas UAV as indispensable to American forces in the region.
