A NAVY warship has launched a never-before-seen attack drone as the US continues to ramp up its deadly remote-bombing technology.
Footage shows the huge USS Santa Barbara stationed in the Middle East firing off the suspected kamikaze drone in the middle of the Arabian Gulf.
The fiery aerial weapon shot off in the sky before soaring away with a trail of smoke left in its path.
It is the first time the one-way attack drone has been launched from a ship at sea, the Navy confirmed.
Dubbed the Task Force Scorpion Strike squadron, Navy personnel launched a Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS), from the flight deck of the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara during routine operations in the region.
The exercise was coordinated between US Naval Forces Central Command and the US 5th Fleet (NAVCENT/C5F) on December 16.
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Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander, praised the remarkable exercise, saying: “Bravo Zulu. U.S. Navy forces in the Middle East are advancing warfighting capability in new ways.
“Bringing more striking power from the sea and setting conditions for using innovation as a deterrent.”
Vice Admiral Curt Renshaw added: “This first successful launch of LUCAS from a naval vessel marks a significant milestone in rapidly delivering affordable and effective unmanned capabilities to the warfighter.
“This achievement demonstrates the power of innovation and joint collaboration in this critical region.”
The LUCAS platforms operated by US forces have an extensive range and can be launched through various mechanisms such as catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff and mobile ground and vehicle systems.
“This platform will undoubtedly enhance regional maritime security and deterrence,” said Renshaw.
NAVCENT/C5F is the maritime component of US Central Command.
They are responsible for around 2.5 million square miles which includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.
They are currently monitoring threats in three main regions in the area at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in Yemen.
The launch is part of the Navy’s effort to bring unmanned and autonomous systems into everyday operations.
Renshaw explained the successful launch shows progress in affordable and effective unmanned capabilities.
Another US Navy phenomenon saw a destroyer become the world’s first AI warship.
USS Fitzgerald, first launched in January 1994, has been redeployed with an innovative artificial intelligence program used by the Pentagon.
The software uses machine learning to predict maintenance issues before they have even happened, allowing crews to avoid major malfunctions and stay on the water.
It takes 10,000 sensor readings every second from all over the ship – including the hull and the mechanical and electrical systems.
The AI algorithm then interprets the data to make maintenance recommendations to the crew.
It comes as the US unleashed a “massive strike” against the Islamic State group in Syria in retaliation for an attack which killed three Americans.
Pete Hegseth said Operation Hawkeye Strike was designed to eliminate “fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” after the deadly attack on American forces.
The strikes were reportedly carried out by US Airforce F-15E Strike Eagles alongside A-10C Thunderbolts and Army helicopters with Artillery rocket systems.
A source told the New York Times that the strikes hit storage sites and other facilities in an expected “massive attack”.
Another anonymous source told The Associated Press that more strikes are to be expected.
President Donald Trump later said on Truth Social the US were “inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible”.