A Florida fishing charter recovered a delta‑wing unmanned aerial system near Eglin Air Force Base that resembles the SpektreWorks LUCAS attack drone. Two days earlier, a LUCAS UAS reportedly impacted the Eglin test range; the base said the aircraft had been recovered but would not confirm whether it was the same device. Photos show the airframe largely intact but missing its engine, propeller and nose cone. Eglin's range covers roughly 120,000 square miles of overwater airspace.
Florida Fishing Charter Hauls Up Delta‑Wing Drone Resembling LUCAS UAS
Hot Spots Charter finds and brings to shore a UAS resembling a U.S. Air Force LUCAS drone on Sept. 19, 2026. (Hot Spots Charter via Facebook)
A Florida fishing charter crew near Eglin Air Force Base made an unusual catch on Saturday: a largely intact delta‑wing unmanned aerial system pulled from the water by Hot Spots Charters.
What Was Found
Photos shared by Hot Spots Charters and a local photographer online show a small delta‑wing drone missing its engine, propeller and nose cone — damage consistent with striking the water at speed. The airframe resembles the SpektreWorks Low‑Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a one‑way attack drone reportedly used by U.S. forces during Operation Epic Fury.
About the LUCAS Platform
The LUCAS design is a reverse‑engineered style modeled on Iran's Shahed‑136. It can be launched from catapults, rocket‑assisted takeoff systems or mobile ground launchers. Reports put the platform cost at about $35,000 each. The model is derived from SpektreWorks' FLM 136 target aircraft, which is used for counter‑drone training and intentionally resembles the Shahed‑136.
Range Test and Recovery
Two days before the fishing crew's discovery, a LUCAS UAS reportedly impacted the water during a routine, scheduled test on the Eglin range, a base spokesperson told Military Times. The spokesperson said the aircraft had been recovered and was back in the Department's possession, but the base declined to confirm whether the device recovered by the charter was the same airframe from that test.
“The aircraft has been recovered and is back in the Department's possession,” a base spokesperson told Military Times.
Scope and Local Response
Eglin's test and training range covers roughly 120,000 square miles of overwater airspace across part of the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida panhandle toward the Florida Keys. Hot Spots Charters posted images of the drone beside their recent catches of red snapper and mahi‑mahi; a local aquatic photographer posting under the handle Aquatic Charlie also shared photos of the find.
Context
Eglin Air Force Base, in the western Florida panhandle, hosts the 96th Test Wing, the Air Force's primary test and evaluation center for weapons, navigation and guidance systems, and command‑and‑control platforms. In December 2025, U.S. Central Command announced Task Force Scorpion Strike, a Middle East‑based unit equipped with LUCAS drones; personnel from U.S. Special Operations Command Central later led Task Force Falcon Strike, focused on multi‑domain, multinational attack drone operations.
Hot Spots Charters and the captain who discovered the UAS did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
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