Sea drone rescues US Army helicopter crew near Strait of Hormuz
Two crew members of a US Army helicopter that crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday were rescued by an American sea drone, US officials have confirmed.
It was the first time the US military publicly confirmed that such a vessel had been used in a rescue operation.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the two soldiers were safely rescued within about two hours after their AH-64 Apache helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of shooting down the aircraft while it was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz and, in response, ordered retaliatory strikes against targets in Iran.
The crew members were rescued by an uncrewed surface drone, a US Navy Corsair, operated by Task Force 59, according to US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins.
Task Force 59 is a Bahrain-based unit established by the US military to focus on the operational deployment of unmanned systems working alongside human operators to enhance maritime security across the Middle East.
The 24-foot Corsair drone, manufactured by Saronic Technologies, is capable of carrying up to 1,000 pounds over a range of 1,000 nautical miles and can reach speeds of up to 35 knots.
In December 2025, the US Navy awarded the Texas-based defence technology company a $392 million production contract for its Corsair autonomous maritime vessels.
Hawkins said Task Force 59 began deploying the drones in the Middle East in late March.
He told the Associated Press that the unmanned vessel located the two soldiers after they had spent about two hours in the water.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Centcom said the two crew members were rescued at 19:33 EDT (23:33 GMT) on Monday.
“Rescue efforts were led by US Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from US Air Force and Navy units including US 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59,” the statement said.
Credit: BBC
