A United States Navy drone vessel rescued two American soldiers after their Apache attack helicopter crashed off the coast of Oman, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
According to U.S. Central Command, the helicopter went down while conducting patrol operations in regional waters near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The two crew members were pulled from the water by an unmanned surface vessel operated by the Navy’s Task Force 59, a unit that specializes in using artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
“The soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition,” Central Command said in a statement, adding that the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Task Force 59, established in 2021, is the U.S. Navy’s first operational unit dedicated to deploying drones and autonomous maritime technology in active military operations.
The incident marks the first loss of an Apache helicopter since the conflict involving Iran intensified earlier this year.
It comes at a particularly tense moment in the region after Iran and Israel exchanged direct strikes over the weekend, their most serious confrontation since the ceasefire reached in April.
President Donald Trump confirmed that the crew survived the crash when questioned by reporters in New York after attending an NBA Finals game on Monday night.
“The pilots are fine. Nobody was injured,” Trump said, adding that a formal report on the incident would be released soon.
Apache helicopters have played a significant role in U.S. military operations in the region, conducting reconnaissance missions, close-air support and precision strikes.
They have also been used in operations targeting Iranian vessels during the ongoing maritime blockade around Iranian ports.
The crash adds to a growing list of U.S. aircraft losses since the war with Iran began in late February.
According to a Congressional Research Service report issued in May, the U.S. military has lost dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, refueling planes, drones and rescue helicopters.
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 hundreds of American military and intelligence personnel.
During that operation, U.S. forces were forced to destroy two of their own aircraft on the ground to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
In March, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members aboard. Days earlier, three U.S. F-15 fighter jets were accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, though all pilots ejected safely.
Several other American aircraft have also been damaged in Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military positions across the region.
Military officials have not indicated whether enemy action played any role in Monday’s helicopter crash, and investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
