June 16, 2026, 6:02 pm
The U.S. military’s Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a long-range one-way attack drone, is set to receive Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomous control software. The integration effort was awarded by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) and is aimed at introducing advanced autonomous teaming, AI-driven coordination, and swarm capabilities into the LUCAS platform.
Managed by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Prototyping and Experimentation under OUSW R&E, the LUCAS initiative is designed to deliver “affordable mass” by fielding large quantities of inexpensive strike drones capable of operating in coordinated formations. These systems are intended to overwhelm enemy air defenses through saturation tactics while providing a scalable and cost-effective strike option. Derived from the Iranian Shahed-136 design, each LUCAS air vehicle is estimated to cost approximately $35,000—significantly less than most conventional precision-guided munitions that offer comparable range.
Viewers may note that LUCAS reportedly made its combat debut during the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury, when large numbers of the drones were launched against targets in Iran as part of the campaign’s initial strike package.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how LUCAS with HIVEMIND AI is set to enhance US military’s drone warfare capacity?
#defenseupdates #lucasdrone #usmilitary
Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:43 SPONSORSHIP – NordVPN
02:17 LUCAS
04:49 SHIELD AI’s HIVEMIND
06:37 LUCAS with HIVEMIND
09:25 ANALYSIS
Sponsorship:
✴️ https://nordvpn.com/DEFENSE
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