In apparent first, Navy drone boat rescues helicopter crew downed at sea
The unmanned vessel, made by Texas-based Saronic, was sent to the region in March.
Thomas Novelly | June 9, 2026 03:09 PM ET
Navy Drones Army Middle East Aircraft
A U.S. Navy drone boat rescued the crew of an Army helicopter downed near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening,an apparent first for the U.S. military.
The AH-64 Apache went down around 7:30 p.m. ET near the coast of Oman while “patrolling international waters,” U.S. Central Command officials said in a Tuesday news release. Roughly two hours later, a Corsair unmanned surface vessel operated by 5th Fleet’s drone-focused Task Force 59 arrived on the scene, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson.
The Corsair is a 24-foot robot boat made by Texas-based defense tech firm Saronic. Task Force 59 began operating the boats in March.
The boat picked up the crew members and transported them to another location on the water. They were then retrieved by a helicopter for further transport, and are currently in stable condition, Hawkins said.
https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2026/06/apparent-first-navy-drone-boat-rescues-helicopter-crew-downed-sea/414066/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story
