Fishing Charter Recovers US Military Drone Near Eglin Base

A fishing charter crew from Pensacola, Florida, discovered and recovered a floating US military drone off the Florida panhandle on Saturday. Hot Spots Charters, led by Captain Daniel Arsenault, found the delta-wing unmanned aerial system floating offshore near Eglin Air Force Base. The aircraft was missing its nose section, rear propeller, and engine.

The drone is identified as an FLM 136, part of the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) program. Manufactured by Spektreworks, these drones are American clones of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 and are used as one-way attack platforms. US Central Command previously stated in March that LUCAS drones are utilized in operations against Iran.

Spokespeople for Eglin Air Force Base confirmed that a LUCAS test article impacted the water during a scheduled test on Thursday, two days before the discovery. Following the recovery by the charter crew, government officials in black SUVs retrieved the aircraft. The military later confirmed the aircraft was back in the Department's possession.