U.S. investigating Apache crash after first-ever sea drone rescue

World U.S. investigating Apache crash near Strait of Hormuz after military's first sea drone rescue By Charlie D'Agata, Charlie D'Agata Senior national security correspondent Charlie D'Agata is CBS News' senior national security correspondent. He was previously a senior foreign correspondent and has spent more than two decades covering international news for CBS. Read Full Bio Charlie D'Agata, Frank Andrews Frank Andrews Frank Andrews is a CBS News journalist based in London. Read Full Bio Frank Andrews June 9, 2026 / 8:03 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The U.S. military's Central Command said Tuesday that it was investigating an incident the previous day near the Strait of Hormuz that resulted in an Apache helicopter crashing into the sea. Military officials told CBS News the two crew members were rescued by a sea drone in the first such operation ever carried out by the U.S. military.The two U.S. Army soldiers on the Apache had been patrolling waters off the coast of Oman when the crash happened. CENTCOM said they were "rescued by American forces," but the command did not elaborate on the operation or immediately confirm that it was carried out using an unmanned vehicle. It said they were rescued at about 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday, "within approximately two hours" of their AH-64 Apache going down. They were both in stable condition, CENTCOM said in its Tuesday statement on X, adding that "the cause of the incident is under investigation." This file image shows an Army AH-64 Apache helicopter on May 26, 2016. Airman 1st Class Sean Carnes/Defense Department Military officials told CBS News the pair were rescued by an unmanned surface drone operated by a special department called Task Force 59, based with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. It was the first time a drone has been used for a water rescue, the officials said.A Task Force 59 document from July 2023 shows multiple naval drones. CBS News has not been able to confirm which system was...