US Launches Major Strikes Against Iran Using Tomahawk Missiles, Stealth Fighters, and First-Time Use of Suicide Drones

Washington D.C. -- The United States announced on Saturday that it conducted extensive military action against several locations in Iran, utilizing Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighter jets, and for the first time in combat, low-cost, one-way attack (suicide) drones.

Images released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) show the use of Tomahawk missiles, F-18, and F-35 fighter jets in the attacks carried out in Iran under "Operation Epic Fury."

Drone
The Pentagon stated that the suicide drones used by the US military resemble the new LUCAS (Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Aerial System) manufactured by the Arizona-based company SpecterWorks. The company has not commented on the matter.

According to the Pentagon, CENTCOM used one-way attack drones inspired by Iran's Shahed drone for the first time. Kamikaze drones are reportedly developed with the aim of being relatively cheap and producible in large numbers by many companies.

The LUCAS drone is estimated to cost around $35,000 USD. Following the Russia-Ukraine war, there is analysis suggesting that the US and other countries are shifting towards a new military strategy of maintaining an "affordable mass" of weaponry.

Tomahawk Missile

The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile is a long-range cruise missile, often launched from the sea to strike targets deep inside enemy territory. This highly accurate missile can hit targets up to approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away, even penetrating heavily defended airspace.

This missile is about 20 feet long, has an 8.5-foot wingspan, and weighs approximately 3,330 pounds. A detailed official response from Iran regarding this attack is still awaited.  

The Tomahawk cruise missile, produced by RTX's Raytheon unit, is not nuclear-armed. These missiles can be launched from land or sea.

According to Pentagon budget data, the US plans to purchase 57 such Tomahawk missiles in 2026. The average cost of each missile is reported to be about $1.3 million USD. Furthermore, work is ongoing to modify and upgrade the missiles, spending millions of dollars to improve aspects like the guidance system.

A recent agreement between Raytheon and the Pentagon aims to gradually increase the production of Tomahawk cruise missiles up to 1,000 units annually.

The US and its allied forces have conducted flight tests of the GPS-operable Tomahawk. Previously, Tomahawk missiles were also used by the US and British navies when attacking Houthi rebel targets in Yemen.

Fighter Jets

Images and videos released by the US Central Command show that F/A-18 and F-35 fighter jets were used in the attack on Iran.

The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet capable of carrying precision-guided weapons while evading radar. The US has widely deployed the F-35 in the Middle East region.

The F/A-18, manufactured by Boeing, is a multirole fighter jet capable of conducting both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It has the capacity to carry various types of bombs and missiles.