An unmanned U.S. Navy surface vessel rescued two U.S. Army soldiers from the sea near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after their AH-64 Apache helicopter went down off the coast of Oman, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, the first water rescue ever carried out by an American military drone.
The rescue, completed within about two hours of the crash, marks an operational debut for Task Force 59, the U.S. Fifth Fleet unit in Bahrain that the Navy stood up to integrate unmanned surface vessels into Gulf operations. The Apache is the second American aircraft to go down in hostile waters since April, and the loss arrived as President Trump told reporters he is close to a deal with Tehran that would reopen the strait.
The rescue
The two soldiers were patrolling regional waters in their AH-64 when the helicopter crashed Monday, according to CENTCOM. The command said on X that the crew was "rescued by American forces" at about 7:30 p.m. Eastern and was in stable condition, and that "the cause of the incident is under investigation." CENTCOM did not say whether the aircraft was brought down by hostile fire, friendly fire or mechanical failure.
Military officials told CBS News the pair were pulled from the water by a Task Force 59 drone boat. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a Task Force 59 spokesperson, told NBC News the unmanned vessel "found and rescued the soldiers" and that both were receiving medical care. CBS News said it could not confirm which of the task force's vessels carried out the rescue.
The president
Trump confirmed the crash to reporters Monday night on his way back to Washington after attending Game Three of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. "The pilots are fine," Trump said. "Nobody injured."
Speaking again Tuesday, Trump said negotiators were "in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape or form nuclear weapons" with Iran, and predicted the Strait of Hormuz would reopen within days of any signing. Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the strait, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil supply normally moves, since the U.S. and Israel launched the war, NBC News reported.
The losses
The Apache is the second known U.S. aircraft lost in hostile territory since April, when Iranian forces shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle and rescuers extracted both pilots, the Washington Examiner reported. A Congressional Research Service tally dated May 15 counted 42 American aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury, including the F-15E, seven refueling planes, a search-and-rescue helicopter and at least 25 drones.
Iranian state media reported the crash but added no details and made no claim of responsibility, NBC News said, citing the semi-official Mehr News Agency.
The counterpoint
The Washington Examiner noted that U.S. Apaches have been used in the strait for deterrence and to escort commercial vessels, and previously destroyed six Iranian fast boats. CENTCOM has yet to assign a cause for Monday's crash.
The New York Times reported that a U.S. report on the incident would be "issued soon," the Washington Examiner said.