Khaberni - On Saturday, the United States directed a range of weapons in its attack on Iranian targets, including Tomahawk missiles and stealth fighters, and for the first time, low-cost suicide drones designed similarly to Iranian models.
The US Central Command released images showing Tomahawk missiles and F-18 and F-35 fighters, along with details of the strikes on Iran under Operation "Epic Rage".
*Drones
The US military stated that it used suicide drones that appear identical, based on images published by the Pentagon, to the new LOCAAS (Low Cost Autonomous Attack System) drones produced by SpectraWorks in Phoenix, Arizona. The company did not respond to requests for comments.
The Pentagon stated that the Central Command used, for the first time, suicide attack drones similar to the Iranian Shahed drones.
The Pentagon said the suicide drones are inexpensive and several companies are scheduled to manufacture them. The price of a LOCAAS drone is about 35,000 dollars. Drones have increasingly become an important part of warfare, as the Russian war on Ukraine has pushed the United States and other countries to adopt a new strategy known as "affordable force" - possessing many relatively inexpensive and ready-to-use weapons.
*Tomahawk
The Tomahawk land attack missile is a long-range cruise missile typically launched from sea to attack targets in deep-strike missions. The precision-guided Tomahawk missile can strike targets up to 1600 kilometers away, even in heavily protected airspace. The missile is 6.1 meters long and weighs about 1510 kilograms.
Raytheon's unit, part of the RTX corporation, manufactures Tomahawk missiles that can be launched from land or sea. According to Pentagon budget data, the United States plans to purchase 57 missiles of this type in 2026. The average cost per missile is 1.3 million dollars.
There are also ongoing efforts to spend millions on modifying and upgrading weapons, including guidance systems.
A recent agreement between Raytheon and the Pentagon aims to increase the production of Tomahawk cruise missiles to 1000 units annually eventually.
The US Armed Forces and allied forces have conducted flight tests for the Tomahawk missile equipped with GPS and have used it in an operational environment, including when the US and British navies launched Tomahawk missiles at Houthi group locations in Yemen.
*Fighter Jets
The US Central Command released photos and videos showing F-18 and F-35 fighter aircraft used in strikes on Iran.
The F-35 aircraft is a fifth-generation stealth fighter capable of evading radars and carrying precision-guided munitions. The United States has deployed F-35 aircraft widely across the Middle East. Boeing manufactures the F-18 aircraft, a multi-role fighter capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground tasks, carrying a varied array of bombs and missiles.
The F-35 aircraft can carry a wide range of missiles, such as those that can seek out and destroy radar facilities to disrupt enemy visibility. The Israeli Air Force also uses these aircraft.
