America fields ‘attack drone’ squadron in Middle East

U.S. Central Command has created a new task force to stand up the military’s first one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East, marking a shift toward rapidly deployable, low-cost unmanned strike capabilities.

Task Force Scorpion Strike was launched four months after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to speed acquisition and fielding of affordable drone systems. Centcom said the aim is to put effective attack drones into service quickly and at scale.

According to the announcement, the task force has already assembled a squadron built around “low-cost unmanned combat attack system drones”. These platforms have long reach and operate autonomously, with launch methods that include “catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground and vehicle systems”.

Centcom commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the initiative is intended to change adversary calculations. “This new task force sets the conditions for using innovation as a deterrent,” he said. “Equipping our skilled warfighters faster with cutting-edge drone capabilities showcases U.S. military innovation and strength, which deters bad actors.”

The task force is part of a wider push to streamline procurement and accelerate deployment of emerging systems. In September, Centcom established the Rapid Employment Joint Task Force under its chief technology officer to fast-track capabilities, software and what it calls technological diplomacy. Scorpion Strike’s work on one-way attack drones sits squarely in that capability strand and is being led by U.S. Special Operations Command Central.

Centcom itself frames the project as the start of a continuous pipeline that will deliver attritable strike drones to deployed forces at a tempo dictated by operational need rather than traditional procurement cycles.