Photo: Alamy
Two U.S. crew members have been rescued near the coast of Oman after their helicopter, a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache, went down during a regional patrol, the U.S. Central Command has revealed.
This incident occurred on June 8. According to CENTCOM, the two U.S. soldiers were rescued by American forces within two hours of the Apache going down.
The U.S. military currently has no explanation for why the helicopter went down, but CENTCOM noted that the “cause of the incident is under investigation.”
This is not the first rescue operation that has taken place amid the war with Iran. In April, the U.S. military launched a retrieval operation into enemy territory in Iran, successfully rescuing two downed U.S. airmen, RSBN previously reported.
The downed Apache is, unfortunately, also far from the first aircraft that has been lost or damaged within the scope of the war against Iran. According to a Congressional Research Service Report, released in May, it appears that around 42 U.S. aircraft have been lost or damaged within the scope of Operation Epic Fury.
The report is a compilation of publicly available information, such as news articles and statements, and is subject to revision as new information becomes available.
This list identified four F-15E Strike Eagles as having been destroyed, for example, between March and April. The report noted that at least 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones (remotely piloted) had allegedly been lost, too.
According to the newest information available on the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System, 13 U.S. servicemembers have died in Operation Epic Fury, while another 411 have sustained injuries.
Technically, Operation Epic Fury was terminated on May 4, upon President Donald Trump’s notification to Congress, per the War Powers Act, that hostilities were over. He cited the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, effective April 7.
That ceasefire is still tenuously in effect as negotiations with Iran continue.
“Right now, the president is committed to getting a great deal for the United States of America that ensures they never get a nuclear weapon,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters recently. “…We are prepared, at the War Department, if that does not happen, to do what needs to be done to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”