Post by Lucas Ward

Just published with the Centre for International Security and Economic Strategy (CISES): my analysis of what European NATO members can learn from the swift deployment of the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), fielded by the US in Iran just eight months after its unveiling. The programme demonstrates three central enablers of rapid progression from design to deployment: ·      Leveraging existing designs to compress timelines. ·      Modular architecture enabling design and iteration at pace. ·      Military institutional frameworks (in this case, CENTCOM task forces) facilitating deployment. The piece also argues that European NATO members face structural constraints in developing and deploying attritable UAS, from certification regimes to relatively limited testing facilities and the absence of sustained operational theatres. One potential solution: deepening industrial and military partnerships with Ukraine, where rapid feedback loops between battlefield use and industry are already driving innovation and operationalisation.