The U.S. military announced the first successful mission of its kind: the rescue of two Americans whose Apache helicopter was shot down by an unmanned, artificial intelligence-powered surface vessel.
The helicopter crashed in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz Monday following what Trump has said was an Iranian attack. The United States continues to respond with force to the provocation, the president told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst:
.@TreyYingst on his phone call with @POTUS:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2026
"These two pilots were able to take [the Apache] down into the sea, where ultimately, they were rescued, for the first time in U.S. military history, by an unmanned sea drone."
"He said the Iranians had tried to rebuild, during the… pic.twitter.com/2hucqnUaMQ
.@TreyYingst on his phone call with @POTUS:
"These two pilots were able to take [the Apache] down into the sea, where ultimately, they were rescued, for the first time in U.S. military history, by an unmanned sea drone."
"He said the Iranians had tried to rebuild, during the ceasefire, their defensive capabilities, but they were unable to stop these U.S. strikes overnight, and they were hammered by U.S. fighter jets."
Iran is a paper tiger, Trump continued:
"He says 'The bully of the Middle East is dead,' and he told me, 'I may keep going' when I asked him about a possible response to the Iranian missile fire that targeted U.S. forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan overnight. The President said, 'They had a chance to sign a deal and survive.'"
MORE: Trump Reveals US Helicopter Shot Down - and Consequences Are Coming
Breaking: US Hitting Iran With 'Self-Defense Strikes'
Meanwhile, Trump posted to Truth Social Wednesday and said the despotic regime of the Islamic Republic and its military were all but dead:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2026
The technology used to rescue the pilots was cutting-edge and was able to get the two to safety quickly. The sea drones have been in the area for roughly a month and a half:
U.S. officials are describing the rescue as the first time that an unmanned surface drone has been used to successfully rescue crew members at sea.
The AH-64 helicopter crashed at 7:33 p.m. EDT on Monday, leaving the pilots in the waters off Oman, according to U.S. Central Command…
"The surface drone that assisted in last night's rescue of the Apache crew off the coast of Oman was a U.S. Navy Corsair unmanned surface vessel operated by U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59. The task force began fielding these drones in theater in late March," said Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
The Saronic Corsair is a 24‑foot autonomous US Navy surface vessel built by Saronic Technologies in Austin, Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott lauded the fact that the craft was put together in the Lone Star State:
A Texas-built drone boat just made history, executing the first sea drone rescue in combat.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 9, 2026
This is what happens when you let businesses innovate and give them freedom to build.
Texas companies are leading the world and strengthening our nation. Texans take care of America.…
A Texas-built drone boat just made history, executing the first sea drone rescue in combat.
This is what happens when you let businesses innovate and give them freedom to build.
Texas companies are leading the world and strengthening our nation. Texans take care of America.
I’m still getting used to watching driverless Waymo taxis cruising around the streets, and we’re all familiar with airborne drones, but seeing AI-powered vehicles zipping around the Strait of Hormuz area and rescuing our pilots is pretty wild. Add a new arrow to our military quiver.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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