Sea drone saves US helicopter crew downed in waters near Strait of Hormuz

The Corsair drone was used to rescue two US service members whose helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz. (Supplied: Saronic)

The United States Navy has used a drone boat in a maritime rescue mission for the first time.

The remotely piloted 7.3-metre Saronic Corsair was deployed near the Strait of Hormuz after an Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down, a spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

Two crew members had been patrolling off the coast of Oman when their helicopter was struck.

They were floating at the crash site for about two hours before being picked up by the drone, according to CENTCOM spokesperson Tim Hawkins.

"They were then hoisted up to a helicopter for further transport," Captain Hawkins said.

Drone boats have been increasingly used in recent conflicts in various roles.

Analysts say the use of the Corsair in the high-stakes operation was another example of the growing importance of the vessels in modern warfare.

Corsair, built by US company Saronic Technologies, is part of the Pentagon's push to expand the use of uncrewed vehicles alongside traditional military assets.

The drone can travel at speeds of up to 35 knots, or about 65km/h.

The vessel has a speedboat-like design that was unveiled in 2024.

The manufacturer says it can carry a load of up to 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) and has a range of more than 1,000 nautical miles.

Corsair drones in unspecified waters, shown in a press photo from Saronic. (Supplied: Saronic)

Last year, Saronic announced it would be expanding its "footprint in Australia" and appointed retired Rear Admiral Lee Goddard as a strategic advisor.

Corsairs do not appear to be part of Australia's growing sea drone plans, according to Marcus Hellyer, head of research at defence think tank Strategic Analysis Australia.

Australia's surface drone fleet mainly consists of the Bluebottle, which was designed for sub-surface surveillance over extended periods of time. It can also carry payloads.

Dr Hellyer said the Bluebottle was optimised for range and endurance, "which means it is pretty slow".

"So there is still a gap in ADF's [Australian Defence Force] inventory for a kind of high-speed surface drone," he said.

Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels can remain at sea for extended periods. (Supplied: Australia Defence Department/Peta Binns)

The Corsair was used for the rescue mission because of "proximity and capability factors", Captain Hawkins said.

Dr Hellyer said it made sense to use an uncrewed vessel for a rescue operation in the highly volatile area.

"In a case like this it