American forces in the Middle East for the first time in combat used small, cheap, one-way attack drones during Saturday’s strikes on Iran, the Pentagon said.
U.S. Central Command did not say specifically what targets were hit by the drones, but their use in combat during the Iran mission is a milestone for the American military.
In a statement posted on social media, CENTCOM said it launched attacks against key Iranian targets from the air, land and sea.
“Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields,” the command said.
Despite a major Iranian counterattack, there have been no American casualties and no significant damage to U.S. military bases across the Middle East, military officials said.
CENTCOM said the small drones were part of its Task Force Scorpion Strike program, which is the military’s first one-way attack drone squadron based in the Mideast.
“The first hours of the operation included precision munitions launched from air, land and sea,” CENTCOM said in its statement. “Additionally, CENTCOM’s Task Force Scorpion Strike employed low-cost one-way attack drones for the first time in combat.”
Small, cheap attack drones have proved to be an effective battlefield tool during the Russia-Ukraine war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has made it a top priority to buy and field small drones by the thousands.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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