India, June 11 -- A US Navy uncrewed surface drone was used for the first time to rescue the crew of a downed Apache chopper near the coast of Oman, signalling a new role for the unmanned vessels, as hostilities in the war with Iran escalated once again.

The Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down while patrolling the Strait of Hormuz regional waters on Tuesday (IST). US President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the incident, and subsequently launched strikes against Tehran.

Officials said the soldiers rescued were in stable condition.

Built with a speedboat-style design, the Corsair is designed to operate without a crew. In December 2025, the US Navy awarded Texas-based manufacturer Saronic Technologies a $392 million production co...