U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday announced its latest efforts to establish the first-ever multi-domain, multinational attack drone task force.
Called Task Force Falcon Strike, the unit will reportedly employ one-way attack drones consisting of unmanned systems from above, on, and below the sea and operated by U.S. military support staff and regional partners. The timing of the launch comes nine months after CENTCOM established Task Force Scorpion Strike, the U.S. military’s first dedicated one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East.
“Task Force Falcon Strike will expand on Scorpion Strike’s success given the tremendous innovation happening among our regional allies and partners,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, in prepared remarks. “Integrating and deploying our new capabilities together will help us rapidly realize the new possibilities that are on the horizon.”
CENTCOM says that personnel from U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), which launched Scorpion Strike, will lead Falcon Strike’s staff of U.S. and regional representatives.
Scorpion Strike Replacement
CENTCOM praised Scorpion Strike for “rapidly achieving key operational milestones,” including the first-ever launch of an aerial attack drone from a U.S. Navy warship in December 2025.
The squadron also employed one-way unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury—the name initially dedicated to the Iranian military operation that has since been retired by U.S. officials—and during strikes on Iranian port facilities in July using unmanned attack vessels at sea.
The next phase involves CENTCOM consulting with and officially inviting regional partners, as part of a process that has already been initiated. Task Force Falcon Strike, with aid from such partners, will scale attack drone capabilities across the Middle East “into a unified multi-domain, multinational deterrent.”
“The United States military has a lot of strong partnerships and friends in the region,” Cooper said. “We are collectively stronger when we integrate and deploy new capabilities together.”
The official launch of Task Force Falcon Strike coincides with new reporting that the U.S. military lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, or roughly 25% of its fleet, in correlation with the military operation in Iran, according to The Washington Post on Thursday, citing three officials. The approximate cost of the lost Reapers exceeds $1.3 billion.
The U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran on Feb. 28 as part of a conflict that, at this juncture, has no timetable for resolution following multiple ceasefires and negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials, as well as other officials in the Middle East.
SOCCENT, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., plans and conducts special operations across CENTCOM’s 21-country area of responsibility in the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.
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