CENTCOM launches multinational attack drone task force

U.S. Central Command will stand up the inaugural task force focused on multi-domain, multinational attack drones.

Task Force Falcon Strike will utilize one-way attack drones composed of unmanned systems from above, on and below the sea, managed by U.S. military support staff and regional partners, according to a Thursday release .

The move to launch this unit follows CENTCOM’s establishment of Task Force Scorpion Strike in December 2025, a Middle East-based task force equipped with one-way attack drones as the military strived to integrate drone technology across the services.

“Task Force Falcon Strike will expand on Scorpion Strike’s success given the tremendous innovation happening among our regional allies and partners,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in the release. “Integrating and deploying our new capabilities together will help us rapidly realize the new possibilities that are on the horizon.”

Scorpion Strike was the first to launch an aerial attack drone from a U.S. Navy warship last December, the month of its announcement. The unit also deployed one-way unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury and during strikes on Iranian port facilities in July with unmanned attack vessels at sea, the statement highlights.

CENTCOM began consulting with and officially inviting regional partners to join Falcon Strike, aiming to expand 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 release did not specify which regional partners CENTCOM is working with on the unit.

Personnel from the U.S. Special Operations Command Central, located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, will lead Falcon Strike’s staff of U.S. and regional representatives after it launched Scorpion Strike, the release states.

The announcement comes as the U.S. continues its war with Iran, which has depleted the U.S. munitions stockpile and caused military leaders to weigh the possibility of developing cheaper anti-drone technology at a faster pace.

Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.

美国中央司令部将组建首个专注于多领域、多国攻击无人机的特遣部队。

根据周四发布的消息，猎鹰打击特遣队将利用由无人系统组成的单向攻击无人机，这些无人机可以从海上、水面和水下进行攻击，由美国军事支援人员和地区合作伙伴进行管理。

推出该部队的举措是在美国中央司令部于 2025 年 12 月成立“蝎子打击”特遣部队之后进行的。该特遣部队是一支驻扎在中东的特遣部队，配备了单向攻击无人机，因为军方正努力将无人机技术整合到各个军种中。

“鉴于我们区域盟友和伙伴国正在开展的巨大创新，‘猎鹰打击’特遣队将以‘蝎子打击’特遣队的成功为基础，”中央司令部司令布拉德·库珀海军上将在新闻稿中表示。“整合并共同部署我们的新能力将有助于我们迅速实现即将到来的新机遇。”

“蝎子打击”部队于去年12月首次从美国海军军舰上发射无人机进行空中攻击，该部队也是在当月宣布成立的。声明强调，该部队还在“史诗狂怒行动”中部署了单向无人机系统，并在今年7月利用海上无人攻击舰艇对伊朗港口设施进行打击时也使用了无人机系统。

美国中央司令部开始与区域伙伴进行磋商，并正式邀请他们加入“猎鹰打击”行动，旨在将攻击无人机能力扩展到整个中东地区，形成“统一的多域、多国威慑力量”。

库珀说：“美国军方在该地区拥有许多强大的合作伙伴和朋友。当我们整合并共同部署新能力时，我们整体实力会更强。”

该新闻稿并未具体说明中央司令部正在与哪些区域合作伙伴共同组建该部队。

新闻稿称，位于佛罗里达州麦克迪尔空军基地的美国特种作战司令部中央分部的人员将领导猎鹰打击行动的美国和地区代表团队，此前该行动已启动蝎子打击行动。

在美国继续与伊朗交战之际，这一声明出台。这场战争耗尽了美国的弹药储备，迫使军方领导人考虑以更快的速度开发更便宜的反无人机技术。

克里斯蒂娜·斯塔西斯是一位记者，主要报道国防工业、国家安全、军事/退伍军人事务等领域的新闻。她曾于2024年在《防务新闻》担任编辑助理，协助Sightline媒体集团旗下新闻编辑室处理突发新闻。