US Central Command announced on Wednesday that it was launching the US military’s “first one-way-attack drone squadron based in the Middle East” as President Trump’s Department of War continues to get further entrenched in the region.
“CENTCOM launched Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS) four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed acceleration of the acquisition and fielding of affordable drone technology,” CENTCOM said.
Hegseth has announced a program known as “Drone Dominance” that will involve spending $1 billion to acquire about 300,000 units over the next three years. “Drone dominance is a billion-dollar program funded by President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill,” the US War Chief said on Tuesday.
CENTCOM said that it has already “formed a squadron of Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones” and released photos of drones in its press release.
“LUCAS drones deployed by CENTCOM have an extensive range and are designed to operate autonomously. They can be launched with different mechanisms to include catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground and vehicle systems,” the command said.
On Monday, CENTCOM announced that it had opened a new bilateral command post in Bahrain, the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. “The new facility will be staffed by forces from the United States and Bahrain and serve as a hub for integrated air defense planning, coordination, and operations. This is CENTCOM’s second bilateral air defense command post in the region,” CENTCOM said.
The Trump administration recently approved a $445 million weapons deal for Bahrain to sustain its fleet of F-16 fighter jets. The administration has been working to build its military alliances with Gulf Arab states and has also approved $1 billion in arms deals for Saudi Arabia to support Riyadh’s US-made helicopters and provide aviation training for Saudi pilots, a step seen as a precursor to an F-35 sale.
