They were floating at the crash site for about two hours before being picked up by the drone, according to CENTCOM spokesperson Tim Hawkins.<\/p>\n
“They were then hoisted up to a helicopter for further transport,” Captain Hawkins said.<\/p>\n
Drone boats have been increasingly used in recent conflicts in various roles.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
What is the Corsair drone?<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The drone can travel at speeds of up to 35 knots, or about 65km\/h.<\/p>\n
The vessel has a speedboat-like design that was unveiled in 2024.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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Corsair drones in unspecified waters, shown in a press photo from Saronic. (Supplied: Saronic)<\/p>\n
Last year, Saronic announced it would be expanding its “footprint in Australia” and appointed retired Rear Admiral Lee Goddard as a strategic advisor.<\/p>\n
Corsairs do not appear to be part of Australia’s growing sea drone plans<\/a>, according to Marcus Hellyer, head of research at defence think tank Strategic Analysis Australia.\u00a0<\/p>\n Australia’s surface drone fleet mainly consists of the Bluebottle<\/a>, which was designed for sub-surface surveillance over extended periods of time. It can also carry payloads.<\/p>\n Dr Hellyer said the Bluebottle was optimised for range and endurance, “which means it is pretty slow”.<\/p>\n “So there is still a gap in ADF’s [Australian Defence Force] inventory for a kind of high-speed surface drone,” he said.<\/p>\n Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels can remain at sea for extended periods. (Supplied: Australia Defence Department\/Peta Binns)<\/p>\n Removing human risk<\/p>\n The Corsair was used for the rescue mission because of “proximity and capability factors”, Captain Hawkins said.<\/p>\n Iran maintains Strait of Hormuz blockade with mosquito fleet<\/a><\/p>\n Iran is using its so-called mosquito fleet of small attack boats to continue to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Dr Hellyer said it made sense to use an uncrewed vessel for a rescue operation in the highly volatile area<\/a>.<\/p>\n “In a case like this it’s perfect, really, because you’re not putting people at risk,” he told the ABC.<\/p>\n “You can send in a boat that’s really fast, it’s a small target, and if the first one gets blown up, you send another one because you’re not putting humans in danger.”<\/p>\n The Corsair was designed to be used with minimal human interaction, according to the manufacturer.<\/p>\n It was operated by Task Force 59, the US Navy\u2019s \u200bfirst unit dedicated to uncrewed systems.<\/p>\n Created in 2021 and based in Bahrain, the task force began deploying the Corsairs in the Middle East in late March.<\/p>\n The US brought the Corsair into operation in the Middle East in March. (Supplied: Saronic)<\/p>\n Rise of drone rescues<\/p>\n The US service members were spotted and picked up by the Corsair at about 3:30am on Tuesday, local time, and taken to another location on the water.<\/p>\n Trump vows to respond after US helicopter shot down<\/a><\/p>\n US President Donald Trump blames Iran for shooting down a US Apache helicopter that was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n They could then be reached by a helicopter and plucked out of the sea, Captain Hawkins said.<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump had said both service members were “safe and uninjured”.<\/p>\n CENTCOM used more cautious language to describe the condition of the two.<\/p>\n “The soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. The cause of the incident is under investigation,” it said in a statement.<\/p>\n Dr Hellyer said it would have been difficult for the service members to hold on to the drone or a flotation device if they were severely injured.<\/p>\n Iran uses kamikaze drone boats for first time in Middle East war<\/a><\/p>\n Iran is using exploding drone boats for the first time in war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n Surface and submersible sea drones are often used for surveillance, mine detection and tracking enemy activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n Various types of exploding drones have also been used in conflicts in recent years.<\/p>\n Ukraine has frequently used cheap, locally developed uncrewed surface vehicles to inflict damage on the Russian Navy.<\/p>\n Ukraine’s early sea drones resembled a grey kayak-shaped vessel fitted with cameras and tracking devices. (ABC News Graphics:\u00a0Jarrod Fankhauser)<\/p>\n Houthi rebels\u00a0in Yemen are known to operate so-called kamikaze drone boats.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2b3c06984a0e77fb283f66b80e28382d.jpeg\")
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