Drone boat picked up downed US Army helicopter pilots—a first for sea rescues

Photo: The Corsair autonomous surface vessel developed by Saronic Technologies is one of the drone boats in the US Navy’s service. Photo courtesy of Saronic. Article by Jeremy Hsu. Ars Technica – June 9, 2026.

A drone boat picked up two US Army pilots from waters near the Strait of Hormuz after their helicopter gunship went down, US military officials said. The incident apparently represents the first time the US military has used a drone for such a rescue mission at sea. The two crew members from the US Army AH-64 Apache were “rescued by American forces” at 7:33 pm US Eastern Time after their helicopter went down off the coast of Oman on June 8, according to a US Central Command press release. […]

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Photo: A US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship can be seen flying over commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz during a patrol on April 17, 2026. Photo credit: US Central Command.

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