Florida fishermen haul recovered prototype of US Shahed-136-style drone

During a six-hour offshore outing, the crew of Hot Spots Charters discovered and recovered a sizable military drone near Pensacola. The aircraft, a prototype FLM 136, is a US-made copy of the Iranian Shahed-136 that has seen extensive use in conflict zones. It had lost its forward tip and rear engine, suggesting it fell into the water during a test flight.

A spokesperson for Eglin Air Force Base, which hosts the 96th Test Squadron, verified that a test vehicle had indeed crashed in the area. The drone, manufactured by Spektreworks and named Lucas (Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System), serves as a training and weapons-testing platform for the armed forces. Federal agents later retrieved the recovered equipment from the fishing vessel.