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A Closer Look at Iranian vs US Drones: Price, Range, and Specs

Erlina Fury Santika 05/03/2026 20:20 WIB

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According to the sources analyzed by Katadata, the drones used by Iran and the US are not much different in terms of price and shooting range.

Price Comparison, Range, Payload of Iranian and American Drones (2026)

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A Closer Look at Iranian vs US Drones: Price, Range, and Specs

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Price Comparison, Range, Payload of Iranian and American Drones (2026)

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Shahed 136 drones from Iran have been spotted in the skies over Bahrain, Kuwait, and Ukraine since February 28, 2026.

Footage uploaded by eyewitnesses and reported by The Guardian — as cited by Katadata — showed the delta-winged drones flying toward high-rise buildings under the cover of night.

Their engines, producing a sound likened to lawn mowers, were audible moments before the drones struck buildings, sending flaming debris past balcony windows.

More than 1,000 drones, most believed to be Shahed 136s, have targeted Iran's neighboring countries in the Gulf since the United States (US) and Israel first struck Tehran on Saturday (28/2/2026).

The attacks are widely seen as Iran's attempt to intimidate US allies in the region.

On Monday (2/3/2026), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported being hit by 689 drones, of which 645 were intercepted — meaning 44 managed to reach their targets. Similar attacks have also been reported in Kuwait.

With a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, the drones are typically pre-programmed to fly complex, low-altitude routes designed to evade radar detection.

On the other side, the US has deployed its Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) in combat for the first time.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) officials confirmed the deployment, as quoted by Katadata from MilitaryTimes on Sunday (1/3/2026).

The unmanned aircraft were launched as part of Operation Epic Fury, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control facilities, Iran's air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

LUCAS is a disposable kamikaze-style attack drone that can be launched via catapult, rocket-assisted takeoff, or mobile ground systems.

Despite being developed by opposing sides, both drones share a key characteristic: low cost.

For the US, deploying LUCAS — priced at approximately US$35,000 per unit — is far more economical than firing a Tomahawk cruise missile, which costs around US$2.5 million per unit in its latest version.

Steven Feldstein, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, observed that the Shahed 136's prominence challenges the assumption that technological innovation flows only from more to less developed nations.

Iran's design has proven its worth — including on the battlefields of Ukraine — to the extent that Russia invested US$2 billion to establish a dedicated factory producing a derivative model, the Geran-2.

"It's not surprising that the United States is also copying this design," Feldstein was quoted as saying.

(Source: Katadata — "Comparison of the Iranian Shahed 136 Drone vs the US LUCAS Drone, Both Equally Inexpensive" by Rahayu Subekti)

Editor : Erlina Fury Santika

"Disclosure: This is an AI-generated translation of the original article. We strive for accuracy, but please note that automated translations may contain errors or slight inconsistencies."