According to a report from Epoch Times on June 9, 2026, a U.S. Apache attack helicopter crashed near the coast of Oman. American officials stated that for the first time, the U.S. military used an unmanned surface vessel at sea to locate and rescue two crew members.
The U.S. Central Command issued a statement on Tuesday, June 9, stating that at 7:33 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, an AH-64 Apache armed helicopter crashed while on patrol near the coast of Oman. The two crew members were safely rescued within approximately two hours, and their condition is currently stable. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
The U.S. Central Command mentioned that the rescue operation was led by the U.S. Navy Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from the U.S. Air Force and Navy forces, including the 5th Fleet Task Force 59.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins mentioned that the unmanned surface vessel Saronic Corsair found the crew members drifting in the waters near the coast of Oman and brought them back to shore.
CBS News also learned from U.S. military officials that the two crew members were rescued by a maritime unmanned vessel, marking the first time the U.S. military has used an unmanned vessel for a water rescue operation. Military officials stated that this unmanned vessel was operated by the 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 based in Bahrain.
The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that the military is investigating whether the Apache helicopter was shot down by the Iranian military. This rescue operation is the first combat exercise of U.S. military unmanned vehicles, which belong to the Navy’s Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Drone Task Force, aimed at enhancing America’s military capabilities in the Middle East.
“In search and rescue operations, we need to utilize the closest and fastest resources available, and that’s exactly what happened this time,” Hawkins stated.
In the past, the U.S. military has conducted similar exercises, including transferring injured personnel from vessels to shore using unmanned maritime vessels.
“We have simulated such scenarios in exercises before, but not necessarily exactly like this one,” Hawkins commented. He declined to provide further comments on the specific mission or ongoing investigation into the helicopter crash.