Direct proof of use
LUCAS was documented in the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict through Operation Epic Fury, a U.S.-led strike campaign against Iranian military targets during the wider Israel-Iran war. Military Times reported that U.S. Central Command confirmed the first combat use of the LUCAS one-way attack drone in the February 28, 2026 Iran strikes.
DefenseScoop reported that CENTCOM said LUCAS drones were deployed for the first time in history during Operation Epic Fury, and that U.S. and Israeli forces initiated the operation jointly. The War Zone later reported that the drones were fired against unspecified Iranian targets in the opening salvos of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack and repeatedly afterward.
Sources: Military Times LUCAS Combat Debut, DefenseScoop Epic Fury LUCAS, The War Zone LUCAS Iran War
Dated combat debut
The publicly reported combat debut came on February 28, 2026, when U.S. strikes under Operation Epic Fury targeted Iranian command-and-control facilities, air defenses, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields. The available public reporting identifies LUCAS as part of that strike package, but does not give the number of drones launched or a target-by-target breakdown.
CENTCOM-linked reporting described the platform as a low-cost, long-range one-way attack system intended to add affordable mass to U.S. strike options. In March 2026, DefenseScoop reported that a CENTCOM spokesperson said the drones remained available for further Epic Fury strikes against Iran.
Sources: Military Times LUCAS Combat Debut, DefenseScoop Epic Fury LUCAS, The War Zone LUCAS Iran War
Role in the campaign
In this conflict record, LUCAS is best treated as a U.S. long-range strike and loitering-munition capability rather than an Israeli-operated system. The conflict context was joint U.S.-Israeli action against Iran, but the public LUCAS evidence points to U.S. Central Command and U.S. forces as the operator.
Reporting on Operation Epic Fury framed LUCAS as part of a broader synchronized strike wave that included aircraft, non-kinetic effects, and unmanned platforms. Its cited value was not a unique target set visible in public sources, but the ability to provide lower-cost one-way attack mass alongside more expensive long-range weapons.
Sources: DefenseScoop Epic Fury LUCAS, The War Zone LUCAS Iran War
Attribution boundaries
The available public sources support U.S. use of LUCAS during Operation Epic Fury, not Iranian possession, Israeli operation, or confirmed Israeli launch of the system. They also support a direct connection to the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict because Epic Fury is described as a U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran within the continuing war.
Public reporting leaves several details unresolved: exact quantities, launch locations, specific targets hit by LUCAS, and post-strike effects were not disclosed in the cited sources.
Sources: Military Times LUCAS Combat Debut, DefenseScoop Epic Fury LUCAS, The War Zone LUCAS Iran War
