{"id":2574366,"date":"2026-02-27T10:25:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-readies-first-kamikaze-drone-unit-in-the-middle-east-as-iran-peace-talks-end-with-no-resolution\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T10:28:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:28:23","slug":"pentagon-readies-first-kamikaze-drone-unit-in-the-middle-east-as-iran-peace-talks-end-with-no-resolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-readies-first-kamikaze-drone-unit-in-the-middle-east-as-iran-peace-talks-end-with-no-resolution\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon Readies First Kamikaze Drone Unit in the Middle East as Iran Peace Talks End with No Resolution"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpentagon-readies-first-kamikaze-drone-unit-in-the-middle-east-as-iran-peace-talks-end-with-no-resolution%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2574366&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Bloomberg report says the United States has formed Task Force Scorpion, its first kamikaze drone unit, which is ready to operate in the Middle East alongside American troops if a conflict with Iran breaks out. The unit relies on Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones,about $35,000 each and built by SpektreWorks in Arizona,designed for one-way strikes on softer targets and capable of autonomous operation. One LUCAS drone reportedly test-launched in December from the USS Santa Barbara in the Arabian Gulf. The development comes as US-Iran nuclear talks resumed and again ended without a deal,though Iranian foreign Minister abbas Araghchi said progress had been made,a portrayal echoed by The Guardian as a bid to avert U.S.strikes from a region already hosting massed American naval assets. Analysts say the program signals a shift toward inexpensive, swarm-capable drones that could target dispersed sites such as missile facilities and road networks, though they may not easily penetrate hardened defenses.The piece notes a continued U.S.military buildup in the region, including carrier strike groups, while commentators such as Rubio express concern about Iran\u2019s missile program and enrichment goals, underscoring the fragility of any potential agreement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>If the United States goes to war with Iran, a new report says that the U.S. military&rsquo;s first kamikaze drone unit will go into battle alongside American troops.<\/p>\n<p>The report, first published Thursday in Bloomberg, said that Task Force Scorpion, as it&rsquo;s called, is ready for service in the Middle East should it arise.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;One of the unit&rsquo;s drones successfully test launched in the Arabian Gulf in mid-December, off the flight deck of the USS Santa Barbara, one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-navy-training-for-a-possible-fight-with-china\/\" title=\"U.S. Navy Training for a Possible Fight With China\">littoral combat ships<\/a> in the region today as part of the U.S. armada,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-02-26\/pentagon-s-first-kamikaze-drone-unit-ready-for-any-iran-strikes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>The report comes as talks again ended between U.S. and Iranian contingents over Iran&rsquo;s nuclear weapons development ended on Thursday without any deal reached.<\/p>\n<p>And yet again, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that &ldquo;good progress&rdquo; had been made at the talks in Geneva, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/26\/trump-attack-threat-looms-as-nuclear-talks-between-us-and-iran-go-to-wire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.K. Guardian<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING); 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\t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/report-trump-adviser-says-90-chance-war-iran-coming-weeks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Araghchi<\/a> said that the talks were &ldquo;one of our most intense and longest rounds of negotiations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, as the Guardian noted, this talk from Iranian diplomats and their Omani mediators was &ldquo;likely seeking to avert a U.S. threat to launch strikes from its fleet of aircraft and warships that have massed in the region.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>And the basic problem remains: The United States keeps <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/laundering-irans-atrocities-western-voices-became-shield-islamic-republics-mass-killings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wanting Iran<\/a> to guarantee that not only will they not develop a nuclear weapon but submit to inspections designed to keep enriched uranium down below a certain level. Iran, meanwhile, denies that this is their goal.<\/p>\n<p>This means that the buildup of U.S. military assets continue apace, with &ldquo;two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/will-biden-abandon-taiwan\/\" title=\"Will Biden Abandon Taiwan?\">aircraft carrier strike groups<\/a>, attack aircraft, plane-refuelling equipment and submarines equipped with Tomahawk missiles&rdquo; already there, the Guardian reported.<\/p>\n<p>And now, there&rsquo;s a kamikaze drone force.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We established the squadron last year to rapidly equip our warfighters with new combat drone capabilities that continue to evolve,&rdquo; U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told Bloomberg via .<\/p>\n<p>Forecast International defense analyst Anna Miskelley said that the program marks &ldquo;a pivot away from US military reliance on multi-million dollar platforms like the MQ-9 Reaper, which are increasingly difficult to justify in high-attrition, swarm-based conflicts.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, drones cost about $35,000 each and are produced by an Arizona-based contractor named SpektreWorks.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Pentagon&rsquo;s first U.S. kamikaze drone unit &mdash; Task Force Scorpion &mdash; is now operational in the Middle East and ready if Trump orders strikes on Iran.<\/p>\n<p>The low-cost &ldquo;LUCAS&rdquo; drones (~$35K each) are designed for one-way attacks on softer targets like missile sites.<\/p>\n<p>Source: BBG <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/V8G2mu3vMd\">pic.twitter.com\/V8G2mu3vMd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Clash Report (@clashreport) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/clashreport\/status\/2027116247398191601?\">February 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/centcom-commander-contradicts-biden-recommended-maintain-2500-troops-afghanistan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CENTCOM<\/a> said in its statement that the LUCAS drones have &ldquo;an extensive range and are designed to operate autonomously.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The 40-pound payload of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/breaking-u-s-shoots-iranian-drone-encounter-near-uss-abraham-lincoln\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the drones<\/a> could give a preview of what the U.S. plans to target in the event of any conflict.<\/p>\n<p>While they couldn&rsquo;t penetrate hardened targets in Iran, Hudson Institute analyst Bryan Clark said that &ldquo;this force would be an effective way to attack softer, distributed targets in Iran like missile production facilities, road networks and missile launch sites.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Destroying these kinds of targets require a lot of dispersed attacks that inexpensive drones are well suited to deliver,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Iran doesn&rsquo;t have much of an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >air defense network anymore<\/a>, so they may not be able to shoot down many.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While Araghchi said that he expects a deal &ldquo;very soon,&rdquo; possibly in &ldquo;about a week,&rdquo; U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio didn&rsquo;t sound so sure, noting that Iran&rsquo;s refusal to discuss its ballistic missile program and be honest about its uranium enrichment goals were stumbling blocks to an agreement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re not enriching right now, but they&rsquo;re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can,&rdquo; Rubio said.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8211; A Bloomberg report says the U.S. has formed its first kamikaze drone unit, Task Force Scorpion, which could go into combat in the Middle East if a war with Iran happens. The unit reportedly had a test launch of one drone in mid-December from the USS Santa Barbara in the Arabian Gulf.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Talks in Geneva over Iran\u2019s nuclear program ended again without a deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said progress had been made, while The Guardian noted the discussions seemed aimed at deterring a U.S. threat to strike from its fleet massed in the region.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The United States continues to press Iran to guarantee it will not pursue a nuclear weapon and to accept inspections to keep enriched uranium below a certain level, while Iran denies that is its aim. The Guardian reports a significant U.S. military buildup in the area, including two carrier strike groups, attack aircraft, refueling assets, and submarines armed with Tomahawks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The new drone force, described as the Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS), uses inexpensive drones costing about $35,000 each, built by SpektreWorks in Arizona. CENTCOM says the drones have long range and autonomous operation, with a 40-pound payload intended for softer targets such as missile sites, roads, and launch locations. Analyst Bryan Clark says the program reflects a shift away from expensive platforms like the MQ-9 Reaper, which are harder to justify in high-attrition, swarm-based conflicts.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Iran denies pursuing a nuclear weapon and demands inspections, while the U.S. continues to demand guarantees and transparency. Senator Marco Rubio criticized the talks, indicating that Iran\u2019s refusals to address its ballistic missile program and enrichment goals are major obstacles to an agreement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2574367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Michael-Featured-Image-735.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7237,3823,32726,4505],"class_list":["post-2574366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-drones","tag-iran","tag-middle-east","tag-military"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Michael-Featured-Image-735.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2574366"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2574370,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574366\/revisions\/2574370"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2574367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2574366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2574366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2574366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}