Task Force 59 Drone Boat Rescues 2 Apache Pilots After Crash Near Hormuz
Updated
Updated · JFeed · Jun 9
Task Force 59 Drone Boat Rescues 2 Apache Pilots After Crash Near Hormuz
3 articles · Updated · JFeed · Jun 9
Summary
Two U.S. Army pilots were pulled from waters off Oman within two hours after their AH-64 Apache went down during a patrol near the Strait of Hormuz, and both were reported stable.
CENTCOM said a Task Force 59 unmanned surface vessel carried out the recovery, in what officials called the first publicly known real-world rescue of downed military personnel by a drone boat.
The crash cause remains under investigation, with U.S. officials examining whether Iranian fire, a mechanical failure or another problem brought down the helicopter.
The incident came after Iran and Israel exchanged fire Sunday, while U.S. Apaches were already patrolling the waterway to deter threats to commercial shipping.
For the U.S. military, the rescue is likely to strengthen the case for wider use of autonomous systems in combat search-and-rescue missions.