U.S. Main Attack Helicopter Downed by Iranian Drone; Pilot Rescued by Unmanned Surface Vehicle

It has been confirmed that an Iranian drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) was responsible for downing a U.S. Apache helicopter that was patrolling the skies over the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. media outlets, including The New York Times (NYT) and CNN, reported this on June 9 (local time), citing U.S. officials.

The AH-64 Apache, a main attack helicopter of the U.S. Army capable of being equipped with machine guns and missiles, is the first of its kind to be shot down since the outbreak of the war with Iran.

The Iranian weapon used to down the Apache is known as the "Shahed attack drone," often referred to as a "kamikaze drone."

This incident represents a victory for asymmetric tactics, as a low-cost, unmanned, high-tech weapon successfully neutralized a representative conventional weapon operated by humans.

It also serves as another confirmation of the value of unmanned suicide drones, which have already established themselves as central weapons of modern warfare in recent global conflicts such as the war in Ukraine.

It is also noteworthy that the equipment used to rescue the two pilots who were on board the downed Apache helicopter was also a drone.

Timothy Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations against Iran, stated, "A U.S. Navy unmanned surface vehicle (USV) located and rescued the (Apache) crew members who had fallen into the water."

He added, "The drone transported them to another maritime location, where they were then hoisted onto a helicopter for further transport."

The U.S. internet media outlet Axios reported that the unmanned surface vehicle that carried out the rescue operation was the "Corsair," an unmanned vessel developed by the defense company Saronic.

The Corsair is equipment operated by Task Force 59, a naval unit established in Bahrain in 2021 by the U.S. Navy to test unmanned technology and artificial intelligence (AI) and integrate them into naval operations.

Regarding the rescue operation using the unmanned surface vehicle, Axios noted, "It was the first operation of its kind with extremely high risks," adding that "it provides a glimpse into the future of warfare where humans and intelligent military equipment operate together."

(Photo: Provided by Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.