US navy sea drone rescues soldiers after Apache shot down

US Central Command said two US Army AH-64 Apache crew members were rescued after their helicopter went down while patrolling regional waters. The soldiers were recovered within roughly two hours and are in stable condition, and CENTCOM said the cause of the aircraft loss is under investigation.

Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins identified the vessel that assisted in the rescue as a Corsair uncrewed surface vessel operated by Task Force 59. The drone picked up the soldiers, moved them to another location on the water, and they were then lifted into a helicopter for further transport.

The task force began fielding these drones in theater in late March, marking an operational first for such systems amid a Pentagon push to integrate uncrewed capabilities. The Corsair is a 24-foot-long surface drone developed by Saronic Technologies. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Iran "shot down" the Apache, and US forces later launched "self-defense strikes" described as a proportional response.

United States

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