Two US Army personnel were rescued by an uncrewed Navy drone vessel after their Apache attack helicopter crashed into waters off the coast of Oman, the US military confirmed on Tuesday.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the helicopter went down while conducting a patrol mission in regional waters. The two crew members were located and rescued within approximately two hours and are reported to be in stable condition.
“A US Navy surface drone found and rescued the crew from the water,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Timothy Hawkins said. He noted that the operation was carried out by the US Fifth Fleet’s Task Force 59, the Navy’s pioneering unit focused on artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
Task Force 59, established in 2021, integrates uncrewed surface vessels and aerial drones into naval operations, making it the first operational task force of its kind within the US Navy.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said: “The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”
The crash marks the first reported loss of an Apache helicopter since the outbreak of the ongoing conflict involving Iran. The incident comes amid renewed regional tensions following an exchange of direct strikes between Iran and Israel over the weekend.
US President Donald Trump also addressed the incident, assuring reporters that the crew members were unharmed.
“The pilots are fine, nobody injured,” Trump said in New York after attending Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
The New York Times first reported that the Apache helicopter had gone down near the Strait of Hormuz and that a rescue operation was launched for the two crew members.
Apache helicopters are widely used by the US military for precision strikes, close-air support missions and reconnaissance operations. In previous years, the aircraft have also been deployed in operations targeting Iranian fast-attack boats and other maritime threats in the region.
The latest crash adds to a growing list of US military aviation losses since hostilities with Iran intensified earlier this year. According to a Congressional Research Service report released in May, the US military has lost dozens of aircraft since the conflict began in late February, including fighter jets, refuelling aircraft, helicopters and numerous drones.
Among the most notable incidents was the downing of an F-15E Strike Eagle inside Iran in April, which triggered a large-scale rescue mission involving special operations forces and intelligence personnel. In March, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members on board, while three F-15 fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences, though their crews ejected safely.
Several other US aircraft have also reportedly sustained damage in Iranian missile and drone attacks on military installations and during operations across the region.
Authorities have not yet released further details about the circumstances surrounding the Apache helicopter crash as investigations continue.
