Just a day after reports surfaced that the US had deployed a massive fleet of UAVs to cripple Iran’s ballistic-missile and drone capabilities, new details now reveal the creation of a dedicated American strike formation: the “Scorpion Strike Force.”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the establishment of this new unit, tasked with operating the military’s first squadron of American one-wing suicide drones in the Middle East. The unit is the product of a direct order issued four months ago by the US Secretary of Defense to accelerate the development and deployment of low-cost attack drones.
According to CENTCOM, the force already fields a squadron of inexpensive “Lukas” strike drones in the region. These long-range systems can operate autonomously and be launched from multiple platforms, including catapults, rocket launchers, ground arrays, and vehicles. Their flexibility allows rapid dispersal across the theater—ideal for countering Iranian missile and drone units spread across Iran, Syria, and Iraq.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the Pentagon sees this program as the prototype for the broader “Drone Superiority Initiative,” aimed at rapidly acquiring cheap, expendable UAVs made by US companies. The idea is simple: overwhelm enemy systems with mass production, speed, and numbers rather than relying solely on expensive platforms.