Fishing boat reels in large U.S. military drone off Florida coast

Daniel Arsenault, a charter captain fishing in the Gulf waters off Florida, discovered a military drone floating in the water while accompanied by active-duty U.S. military helicopter pilots. The pilots identified the object as a target drone, which was then brought to the dock alongside the day's catch before being handed over to local authorities and eventually the U.S. military. A spokesperson for Eglin Air Force Base confirmed that the aircraft was a LUCAS (Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System) drone that had impacted the water during routine testing on September 17. The drone has since been recovered by the Department of Defense. LUCAS drones, modeled after Iran's Shahed drones, were first deployed in combat by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) during Operation Epic Fury in February 2025. The deployment of these drones was part of the military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against the regime ruling Iran.