US fields suicide drones based on Shahed design in strikes on Iran

The United States launched Operation Epic Fury, a broad strike campaign targeting Iranian military sites, marking a new phase in US warfare by integrating advanced technologies including AI tools, stealth bombers, cruise missiles, and low-cost suicide drones modeled after Iran’s Shahed design. The operation involved sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighters such as F/A-18s and F-35s, and notably, for the first time in combat, kamikaze drones similar to the Iranian LUCAS system. These drones, costing around $35,000 each, represent a strategic shift toward "affordable mass"—deploying large numbers of inexpensive weapons alongside high-end systems like the MQ-9 Reaper drones. Artificial intelligence played a significant role, with the Pentagon reportedly using Anthropic’s AI services, including Claude tools, during the strikes despite recent political controversies labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk. The operation also featured B-2 stealth bombers, which targeted hardened underground missile facilities with