A US Apache operating in the Middle East.
US Marine Corps photo
A US Navy surface drone found and rescued two American soldiers after their Apache helicopter crashed off the coast of Oman, a military official confirmed on Tuesday.The drone's participation in the rescue mission appears to be a first for the US military and comes amid a broader Pentagon push to integrate uncrewed systems into operations.US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said US forces rescued two US Army AH-64 Apache crew members early Tuesday morning local time after their helicopter crashed while patrolling regional waters.The soldiers were rescued within roughly two hours and are in stable condition, CENTCOM said, adding that the cause of the crash is under investigation.CENTCOM said rescue efforts were led, in part, by the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, an elite conventional infantry division that specializes in parachute-assault operations and rapid crisis response.Thousands of soldiers from the 82nd deployed to the Middle East earlier in Operation Epic Fury, which began at the end of February, as the Trump administration weighed sending troops to conduct ground operations in Iran. However, their role in the conflict has been unclear in the weeks since.
