Full Breakdown
Unexpected Military Drone Recovered by Florida Fishing Charter
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Unexpected Drone Haul off Florida Panhandle
The crew pulled debris aboard and found a large, delta-winged unmanned aircraft about 10 feet long. The drone was missing its nose cone, engine and rear propeller and was identified by observers as a FLM-136, the U.S.-manufactured clone of Iran’s Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drone. The find occurred several miles southeast of Eglin Air Force Base testing range in the Gulf of Mexico in September 2026.
Background on the LUCAS Program
The FLM-136 is produced by SpektreWorks in Arizona and is the airframe used for the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS). The program reverse-engineers the Shahed-136 to create a low-cost surrogate for training and, since February 28 2026, for combat use by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in Operation Epic Fury. LUCAS drones are intended to be expendable, enabling large-scale swarming and “one-way” strike missions at a fraction of the cost of traditional missiles.
Data & Statistics
- Length: 9.8 ft (2.9 m)
- Wingspan: 8.2 ft (2.5 m)
- Weight: 70 lb (32 kg)
- Cost per platform: approx. $35,000 (Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins)
- Maximum speed: ~85 mph; service ceiling: up to 15,000 ft
Timeline
- September 17 2026 (scheduled) – A routine test over the Eglin Gulf Test Range was slated to launch a LUCAS drone.
- September 22 2026 (occurred) – CBS reported the charter’s recovery and the hand-over of the drone to the sheriff’s department and the Department of Defense.
- February 28 2026 (occurred) – LUCAS drones were first employed in combat during the opening day of Operation Epic Fury.
Official Statements & Responses
- The Eglin Air Force Base spokesperson acknowledged a missing test article but declined to specify the drone type, impact location, or exact loss date.
- The charter captain said, “The US Navy or US government contacted us to figure out where their drone was because they were very interested in having it back.”
- Local law-enforcement (Pensacola Beach sheriff’s substation) took possession of the airframe and later transferred it to the Department of Defense.
On-the-Ground Reports
Captain Arsenault, accompanied by active-duty military helicopter pilots, described the incident as routine “testing debris” that was “not uncommon to find,” noting the drone’s relatively intact condition was unusual. The crew also hauled several mahi-mahi and tripletail that had taken shelter beneath the floating aircraft before bringing the drone aboard.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Some outlets label the recovered airframe as an FLM-136 LUCAS clone, while others suggest it could be a Griffon Aerospace MQM-172 Arrowhead or another target drone.
- No official identification of the specific model has been released, and the Pentagon has not provided further details beyond the Eglin spokesperson’s brief statement.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It looked like a boat was upside down,” — Captain Daniel Arsenault
- “The US Navy or US government contacted us to figure out where their drone was because they were very interested in having it back,” — Captain Daniel Arsenault
- “Costing approximately $35,000 per platform, LUCAS is a low-cost, scalable system that provides cutting-edge capabilities at a fraction of the cost of traditional long-range U.S. systems that can deliver similar effects,” — Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins
- “LUCAS drones deployed by CENTCOM have an extensive range and are designed to operate autonomously,” — CENTCOM