US Navy Warship Successfully Launches One-Way Attack Drone For The First Time

The U.S. Army is integrating more drones into its operations and the nation's other military branches are embracing the technology as well. On Dec 16, 2025 the USS Santa Barbara in the Persian Gulf hosted the Navy's first-ever one-way attack drone launch at sea. The  LUCAS (Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System) drone — which was designed in mimicry of Iran's popular Shahed-136 — is also being tested by the Marine Corps as part of a broader strategy to develop and deploy cheap, effective one-way drones. Navy officials say  this successful launch is a big step in that direction and gives its commanders a new tactical option. 

In a press release, Vice Admiral Curt Renshaw said "This platform will undoubtedly enhance regional maritime security and deterrence" in the strategically important gulf. It's also part of a  White House plan to invest $1 billion in military drones that was announced as part of an executive order in June. While the December launch demonstrated the effectiveness of the LUCAS system, there's no official word on whether or not the drone had a target or was armed. LUCAS drones are designed to fly to a target and be destroyed when on-board munitions are detonated, so there's no need to plan a return flight.

A month after the $1 billion drone plan was announced, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth outlined how the Department of Defense intends to implement it. The DOD will contract with U.S.-based companies to design and produce drones that are as affordable and effective as those in use by Russia, Israel, and other nations. The Institute for Economics and Peace — an international think tank — reported on its Vision of Humanity website that the 2023 global total of 3,000 drone deaths capped a 168% increase over the preceding five years; over that same period the number of annual drone strikes went from 421 to 4,957. Cheap drones are even taking out multi-million dollar tanks and they can fill battlefield gaps for smaller military forces. The advancements in military drone tech and their increased usage has forced some countries to adjust their plans accordingly.

The idea of attaching weapons to a drone that is disposable enough to warrant destroying it during an attack goes back decades.The concept of one-way drones, also known as "kamikaze" drones, was first brainstormed over a century ago. Early 'drones' were simply old bombers that were loaded with explosives and fitted with television cameras and radio remote controls. A pilot would take off and parachute out, and a crew in a following plane or on the ground would guide the bomber from a distance. In 1946, the New York Times called attention to what was then a 25-year move toward "push-button war."