American kamikaze drone LUCAS is comparable in cost to Toyota RAV4
Quick Look
- The American kamikaze drone LUCAS, a copy of the Iranian Shahed-136, costs about 35 thousand dollars, which is comparable to the price of a Toyota RAV4 crossover.
- Its use can force the enemy to spend millions on interception, which is already considered a victory, writes The National Interest.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The LUCAS drone was developed by the American company SpektreWorks after studying the design of the Iranian Shahed-136. It is a low-cost kamikaze drone with a delta wing and an internal combustion engine.
The American kamikaze drone Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), which is a copy of the Iranian Shahed-136, is comparable in cost to the Toyota RAV4 crossover. Even the interception of such a drone can be considered a victory, writes The National Interest (TNI).
One LUCAS costs approximately 35 thousand dollars. It is noted that this is very cheap by the standards of US precision weapons. At the same time, a relatively simple weapon can deplete the ammunition load of enemy air defense systems with expensive interceptors.
“When a $30,000 Shahed-136 drone can force a defender to spend $4 million on a Patriot missile for defense, that’s a victory in itself,” the newspaper writes.
The drone, manufactured by SpektreWorks, was developed after studying the Shahed-136 design. The device with a delta wing received an internal combustion engine.
Open Questions
- What exactly are the characteristics of the LUCAS internal combustion engine?
- Has this drone already been used in combat?
- What countermeasures are countries considering such drones considering?
