The pilots of the AH‑64E Apache that went down in waters off Oman near the Strait of Hormuz were U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB).

Quick facts about the incident

  • Date & location: The helicopter went down on Monday, 8 June 2026 , near the coast of Oman , in waters close to the Strait of Hormuz / Gulf of Oman.
  • Aircraft: An AH‑64 Apache (multiple reports specify AH‑64E, the latest variant).
  • Crew: Two U.S. Army aviators (pilot and gunner/d رفيق) were on board.
  • Rescue: Both crew members were rescued within about two hours by a U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessel (USV) operated by Task Force 59 , the first publicly acknowledged aircrew water rescue of this type by the U.S. military.
  • Status: The soldiers were reported in stable condition and not seriously injured.

Unit identification

Official U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) statements and multiple news outlets identify the crew as being from:

  • U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division
  • Specifically, the 82nd CAB (Combat Aviation Brigade) , which operates attack and reconnaissance helicopters including the AH‑64 Apache when deployed in support of CENTCOM operations.

Some reports phrase it as “an AH‑64 Apache assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s combat aviation brigade” operating near the Hormuz chokepoint during patrols.

No other unit (e.g., a specific battalion like “1‑16th Aviation” or similar) was explicitly named in the available public reporting, so the most precise unit designation supported by sources is:

82nd Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade, U.S. Army.

Context

This incident was the first Apache loss reported in the ongoing U.S.–Iran tensions in the Gulf region and became a major catalyst for U.S. retaliatory strikes against Iran, with President Donald Trump stating the helicopter had been shot down by Iran.

The rescue operation itself became notable for being the first time a Task Force 59 “drone boat” (Saronic Corsair USV) was used to recover stranded aircrew from the water, marking a significant milestone in unmanned maritime operations.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.