An Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crew was rescued off Oman's coast in early June by an autonomous Corsair vessel operated by the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet Task Force 59, according to the Department of War. Saronic, a Texas-based company, manufactures the Corsair.
The Corsair picked up the two crew members and transported them to another location where they were transferred to a helicopter for further evacuation.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Saronic's headquarters in Austin to thank employees for the work. "Those pilots are alive today because of the incredible innovation under this very roof," Hegseth told the workforce.
Saronic manufactures three autonomous ocean-going vessels: the Corsair, the Mirage, and the Marauder. According to Hegseth, the company has delivered more than 300 Corsairs for military use. "That's the kind of scale and speed that our department needs," Hegseth said regarding the company's production pace.
In July, the Department said the Corsair was used by U.S. Central Command to strike Iran's Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking what Hegseth described as "the first operational employment of sea drones in U.S. military combat operations."
Saronic is investing $300 million in Louisiana, including at a shipyard in Franklin, expected to create over 1,500 maritime jobs. Hegseth also cited Port Alpha at Port of Brownsville as a project expected to generate a $3 billion investment, create up to 10,000 jobs, and deliver over $160 billion in regional economic impact for Cameron County.