Florida fishing charter makes an unexpected catch: A US military drone

Florida Charter Crew Pulls Military Drone From Gulf Waters

Earthguardiansonline.com – A routine offshore fishing trip near Florida’s Panhandle took an unusual turn Saturday when passengers aboard a Pensacola charter boat spotted and recovered what appeared to be a US military drone floating in the water.

The vessel belonged to Hot Spots Charters, a Pensacola-area fishing company whose typical catches include speckled trout, redfish, flounder, mackerel and sharks. This time, the crew’s unexpected find was an aircraft believed to be an FLM 136, a US-made version of Iran’s Shahed-136 drone design.

Captain Daniel Arsenault shared photos of the recovery on social media after the trip. One image showed the drone laid out among the boat’s ordinary fishing gear and catches, while another showed it occupying most of the vessel’s bow area.

“Great 6 hour today with this crew! If anyone is looking for their drone please call Hot Spots!”

Arsenault said the encounter came without warning while the boat was traveling offshore.

“Riding along offshore and saw it floating,” he said.

Test Article Lost Near Eglin Air Force Base

The discovery occurred near Eglin Air Force Base, a major Florida military installation that is home to the US Air Force’s 96th Test Wing. The base confirmed that a drone was missing from its inventory, though officials did not publicly identify the model.

An Eglin spokesperson said a test had been underway when the unmanned aircraft went down.

“I can confirm that we were doing a test and the test article went down,” the spokesperson said.

The condition of the recovered drone was visible in the charter company’s photographs. Its nose section was absent, and the rear propeller was missing. Those signs were consistent with an aircraft that had been damaged before it reached the water.

Hot Spots Charters later posted that government personnel collected the aircraft.

“The black suvs came and got their drone, all is good!”

The episode also prompted jokes from anglers following the charter company’s posts. One commenter described it as a difficult catch, joking that it was “super bony and taste like avgas.” Another asked whether the drone was “strictly catch and release?”

A Low-Cost Drone Based on an Iranian Design

The aircraft seen in the photos appeared similar to the FLM 136, a drone connected to the Air Force’s Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, known as LUCAS. The US military announced late last year that it had developed drones modeled on the Iranian-designed Shahed-136.

The Shahed-136 has become one of the most recognizable loitering munitions in modern warfare. It has featured prominently in conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran, where its relatively simple construction, long-range capability and lower price compared with larger missiles have made it a significant battlefield tool.

LUCAS reflects an effort to produce a comparable US system using an American design and manufacturing base. Arizona company Spektreworks manufactures the drones. Each aircraft is about 9.8 feet long, has an 8.2-foot wingspan and weighs roughly 70 pounds.

Despite the relatively compact size, a drone of that scale can take up considerable room on a small charter boat, as the recovery photos illustrated. Its wingspan and body made it far different from the debris boat operators may sometimes encounter offshore.

US Central Command announced in early March that LUCAS aircraft were being used in the war with Iran. The command described the systems as providing “American-made retribution,” signaling that the drones had moved beyond development and testing into an active military role.

An Unusual Reminder of Florida’s Military Test Range

For recreational boaters and anglers, the event offered an uncommon glimpse of the military activity that takes place near the Florida coast. Eglin’s test operations are part of a broader defense presence across the Panhandle, where airspace and nearby waters support training, evaluation and weapons-development work.

The charter crew’s response also underscored how accidental discoveries can bring civilian boaters into contact with military equipment. Rather than trying to retain the aircraft, the company alerted the appropriate authorities, and the drone was retrieved.

Saturday’s catch may not have added to the boat’s fishing tally, but it gave the passengers a story far more unusual than a day spent pursuing redfish or mackerel. What began as an offshore charter instead ended with a damaged military test drone on deck, government vehicles arriving at the marina and a reminder that Florida’s Gulf waters can occasionally yield something no fishing guide expects to find.