A U.S. Army Apache helicopter went down in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, and two crew members were rescued by a sea drone in what military officials described as the first such operation ever carried out by the U.S. military.
According to CBS News, the two soldiers had been patrolling waters off the coast of Oman when the AH-64 Apache crashed into the sea. U.S. Central Command said they were rescued at about 7:30 p.m. Eastern, within approximately two hours of the aircraft going down. Both were in stable condition.
Military officials told CBS News the pair were rescued by an unmanned surface drone operated by a special unit called Task Force 59, which is based with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. It was the first time a drone had been used for a water rescue by the U.S. military.
CENTCOM confirmed the rescue in a statement posted on X, saying the soldiers were "rescued by American forces," though the command did not immediately confirm that an unmanned vehicle was used. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
President Trump addressed the incident Monday night after attending Game Three of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. "The pilots are fine," Trump said. "Nobody injured."
Iranian state media reported the crash but only repeated details from foreign outlets without adding new information. The New York Times was first to report that a U.S. helicopter had gone down near the Strait of Hormuz.
Task Force 59 is a unit focused on integrating unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into naval operations in the Middle East region. A Task Force 59 document from July 2023 shows multiple naval drones, though CBS News was not able to confirm which specific system was used in Monday's rescue.
The crash happened during a period of heightened tension in the region. A ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to be holding Tuesday after both countries traded strikes over the weekend. Iran warned Monday that any new Israeli attacks in Lebanon would be met with a severe response, and Israel has continued operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
