CENTCOM: Two Crew Members of Crashed US Helicopter Rescued

The United States Central Command, CENTCOM, announced in a statement that the two crew members of a US Army "AH-64 Apache" attack helicopter that crashed near the coast of Oman have been rescued by American forces.

According to the CENTCOM statement, the incident occurred at 7:33 PM Eastern Time on June 8, 2026. The helicopter was conducting a patrol over regional waters at the time of the crash.

CENTCOM stated that the two military personnel aboard the helicopter were rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. The command also added that the cause of the incident remains under investigation.

According to CENTCOM, the rescue operation was led by the US Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from US Air Force and Navy units, including Task Force 59 of the Fifth Fleet. Task Force 59 is considered the US Navy's first drone-dedicated unit.

Meanwhile, a US official told ABC News that after the helicopter crashed into the water, its two pilots were pulled from the sea by an unmanned surface vessel (USV), or sea drone, and transported to land. According to the official, the sea drone used in this operation had a design similar to a speedboat.