A US drone boat conducted a first-of-its-kind rescue mission to save the crew of an American Apache helicopter that crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the military said.
The 24-foot Saronic Corsair autonomous surface vessel, powered by artificial intelligence, located the crew who had been stuck for two hours in the waters off the coast of Oman, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The unmanned autonomous vessel, capable of carrying 1,000 pounds and reaching speeds of about 40 mph, quickly transported the pilots to a safe location in the waters, where they were hoisted up by a rescue chopper, officials said.
Corsair, a vessel manufactured by Saronic Technologies, is pictured Saronic Technologies
A US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter banks sharply during a low-level flight maneuver against a partly cloudy sky. Utah National Guard Public Affairs
The Seahawk is a fully unmanned and autonomous vessel operated by Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron 1 and Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific FleetThe operation marks the first time a high-tech US Navy drone deployed to the Middle East was used to conduct a rescue mission.
The Corsair is manufactured by Texas-based Saronic Technologies and is a part of the Navy’s Task Force 59, which oversees uncrewed vessels and other drones powered by AI.
Former Navy Secretary John Phelan had praised Saronic’s work last December after they produced the fully functional Corsair just 12 months after presenting a promising prototype, with the completed version capable of sailing for more than 1,000 miles.
The company received a nearly $400 million production contract for its Corsair vessels at the time, with each unit estimated to cost about $1 million to produce.
A Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) is used during an exercise in April 2026. 22nd Naval Construction RegimentThe company has said it hopes to build more than 20 unmanned vessels per year by 2027.
The military is currently investigating if the helicopter was shot down by Iranian forces as tensions remain high along the Strait of Hormuz.
The Navy previously deployed a Seahawk medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) with an aircraft carrier group.
A US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter flies during exercises in Hawaii. 25th Combat Aviation BrigadeThe Seahawk and Sea Hunter were the first autonomous MUSVs revealed by the Navy in 2025 to be used for real-time operations.
The underwater drones act as distributed sensor platforms for manned ships to extend their operational view and maritime awareness, according to the Navy.
Both drones were manufactured by the defense research company Leidos, with the Sea Hunter being the first developed as an unmanned sub tracker and sensing platform.
Commercial operators deploy Saildrone Voyager Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) are used during an exercise in Key West, Florida. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th FleetLeidos also developed the Ranger and Mariner unmanned boats that were deployed to the Pacific in 2023.
The military also unveiled the USX-1 Defiant in 2025, an 180 foot, 240-metric-ton lightship capable of unmanned missions.
The US has previously rehearsed such rescue missions in the past, including using a drone to move an injured soldier at sea to the shore.
Capt. Garrett Miller, commander of the Surface Development Group ONE, said that by 2027, the navy expects to have 11 MUSVs in its inventory.
The navy also has several small USVs, including the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft, the Salidrone Voyager and the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV).
