The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced the creation of Task Force Falcon Strike, standing up its first-ever multinational, multi-domain attack drone unit to deploy expendable, one-way unmanned systems across air, surface, and sub-surface maritime theaters in West Asia.
The coalition initiative builds directly on the operational template set nine months ago by Task Force Scorpion Strike, the Pentagon’s initial dedicated one-way strike drone squadron in the Middle East. Under the new operational framework, American military planners are partnering with regional armed forces to field low-cost, expendable aerial drones alongside uncrewed surface vessels and sub-surface platforms into an integrated deterrent network.
The decision to scale up to a multinational formation follows a series of real-world operational milestones carried out by Scorpion Strike over the past year. In December 2025, the unit executed the first-ever launch of an aerial attack drone from a US Navy warship at sea.
That capability was later deployed during Operation Epic Fury and during maritime combat actions against coastal port facilities using uncrewed attack vessels. Operating under the direct leadership of US Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) headquartered out of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida Falcon Strike is set to serve as the unified command node for joint operational planning, rapid tech integration, and coordinated autonomous strikes across CENTCOM’s 21-country area of responsibility.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper noted that formal consultations and invitations have already gone out to partner militaries across the Middle East to join the task force. By pooling national capabilities and standardizing low-cost unmanned strike hardware, US and allied commanders aim to counter asymmetric drone barrages, safeguard critical shipping choke points, and maintain pressure across contested maritime and land corridors throughout the region.