An event occurred in the Strait of Hormuz area that marked a turning point in the current confrontation: the American AH-64 Apache combat helicopter crashed. According to US officials, the cause of the disaster lies in a direct collision with an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle.
Incident details: collision with a "Shahed"
According to information received from two representatives of the US administration, the helicopter was shot down by an Iranian drone. Another source familiar with the details of the incident clarified that an Iranian "Shahed" type unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into the Apache fuselage. This confirms the effectiveness of Iranian UAVs capable of delivering pinpoint strikes against complex aviation equipment.
The incident occurred on June 8. This is the first recorded loss of a helicopter of this class since the beginning of the active phase of the conflict with Iran. The US President officially confirmed the fact of the incident, however, the details of the cause of the crash remain classified.
Unusual rescue operation
Despite the loss of equipment, the fate of the crew turned out to be fortunate. US military reported that two crew members were rescued by a surface unmanned vehicle. This device delivered the pilots to a safe section of water, from where they were picked up by another helicopter.
Of particular interest is the equipment used in the operation. A US Navy Corsair type surface drone participated in the rescue. It is noteworthy that these unmanned vehicles began to be actively used by the fleet only at the end of March, making this incident one of the first real tests of the technology in combat conditions.
Escalation and economic losses
This incident is not the only loss of US aviation in the region. In early April, a Blackhawk helicopter was shot down over Iranian territory. At that time, the Pentagon stated that the entire crew had been successfully evacuated and the military were safe.
The economic aspect of the confrontation is also causing concern. For comparison: at the beginning of the operation in Iraq, the daily expenses of the US amounted to about 500 million dollars. Washington's losses due to Tehran's strikes may turn out to be even more significant, especially considering the cost of high-tech equipment stationed at American bases.