On March 1, 2026, the U.S. Central Command officially announced the inaugural combat deployment of the LUCAS suicide drones in military operations directed against Iran. Developed by SpektreWorks, an Arizona-based company, through the reverse engineering of Iran's Shahed-136 drones, this system comes with a price tag of roughly $35,000 per unit. It boasts an operational range of 800 kilometers and can sustain flight for up to 6 hours. Certain variants of the drone are outfitted with electro-optical turrets and satellite communication antennas, enhancing their surveillance and connectivity capabilities.

In light of online rumors suggesting that LUCAS drones might incorporate Starlink terminals, Musk clarified that the terms of service for commercial Starlink explicitly forbid connections for weaponized purposes. Any terminals found to be in violation of this policy are subject to immediate deactivation. He further underscored that the 'Starshield' network, operated by the U.S. government, is entirely distinct from SpaceX's commercial operations. Earlier, Ukraine had enforced whitelist controls on Russian Starlink terminals operating within its borders. The deployment of these drones by the U.S. military signifies a formal shift towards a low-cost drone attrition warfare strategy, leveraging advanced technology to gain a tactical edge.