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The United States has revealed a new drone this week that resembles the Iranian shahed.
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Russia used Shahed in devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities.
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The United States is increasing its efforts to produce cheap disposable attack drones for future wars.
An American version of the Iranian designed Shahed One-Way attack drones that Russia uses in his daily attacks on Ukrainian cities appeared in the Pentagon this week.
Photos show the drone, which was identified in advertising materials as an inexpensive, non-triggered battle attack system or Lucas and was produced by the American engineering company Spectar Works and is exhibited under a variety of other drone prototypes in the courtyard.
The appearance of the weapon comes because the US military wants to dramatically increase the production of cheaper drones using components in order to keep up with rapid developments in warfare, which is becoming more robotic and autonomous.
A fact sheet visible on the photos from the Pentagon said that the new Shahe-style drone could support the military command of the military command by “providing a sustainable threat emulator” and “offering low operating and maintenance costs compared to conventional ammunition systems or aircraft”.
It is said that “this makes the FLM 131 attractive for common forces who are looking for disposable attack systems that improve the skills without increasing costs.” The Spectruit Lucas Design was a drone prototype in Pentagon produced by America on Wednesday. The department stated that the drones were developed in a period of around 18 months than in over years.
There is only limited information about the FLM 131, but it looks similar to the FLM 136, a product that is listed in the spectra works catalog. The FLM 136 has a length of almost 10 feet and has a wingspan of a little more than 8 feet. It can drive with 55 knots and sprint with 100 knots, while it has a maximum payload of £ 40. According to the SpektreWorks, the FLM 136 is “conversely for authentic threat emulation”.
The FLM models are very similar to the delta-shaped body of the Iranian shahed with the straight wing tips and the rounded head. The variant designation of 131/136 is also primarily used for the Iranian drone. The design presented in the Pentagon is modular with the ability to exchange parts for different missions: attack, education and communication.
Spektworks did not respond to the request from Business Insider for additional information about Lucas.
The Iranian-determined Shahed is known as a disposable drone or ammunition, as it can lure in the air for a certain period of time before diving on its destination and detonating on the impact.
Russia began in 2022 with the Iranian -supported Shaheds against Ukraine, but since then it has started to produce them locally. While these weapons are slower than cruise or ballistic rockets, they are much cheaper, so that Moscow can start in large numbers.
Some most recent attacks consisted of hundreds of drones next to rockets that make the strike package more difficult and cause challenges for air defenders.
Ukrainian troops and first aiders said that Russia, with his Shaheeds, who are also known in his Russian name Geran-2, introduced new tactics and even changed the drones to make them fatier, e.g.
The spread of cheap disposable attack drones extends beyond Ukraine and was also a problem in the Middle East. An attack in Jordan last year killed three US service members and injured dozens more. Israel and ships have also targeted this type of weapons off the coast of Yemen.
The Trump administration recognized the increasing threat that drones are in modern war and strengthened the production of these weapons to keep up with the opponents.
In mid -May, President Donald Trump said that the United States was developing a “new drone system” and alluding to the Shahed to hold interest in Iranian designs.
“In Iran, make a good drone. And they earn them for 35,000 US dollars, 40,000 US dollars,” said Trump about Tehran’s drone technology during a round table with managing directors in Qatar. “And they are also very good and fatal. Important when you look at what happens to Russia and Ukraine. The drone kills an enormous number of people.”
At the beginning of June, Trump signed an executive commands to accelerate the US drone production, and last week Defense Minister Pete Hegseth wrote in a memorandum that he canceled the guidelines called “restrictive politics” that stood in the way of production.
“Drones are the largest Battlefield innovation of a generation that makes up the majority of this year’s victims in Ukraine,” said Hegseth in the memo.
“Our opponents produce millions of cheaper drones every year,” said the Minister of Defense. “While the global military drone production has been upset in the past three years, the previous government set bureaucracy. US units are not equipped with the fatal small drones that the modern battlefield needs.”
The US military can see that drones are needed for future fights. For example, drones are an essential part of the transformation initiative of the army. The Marines have formed an attack by drone team to spread war lessons from Ukraine to the troop. The Air Force looks at collaborative fighter planes to fly along the most advanced fighters. And the navy explores the use of ships with unwritten ships to expand the fleet and at the same time to train like the other services in order to counteract the threats.
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