US Navy helicopter goes down in Arabian Sea
A search operation is currently under way for the fourth crew member of a military helicopter that made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Three members of the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter crew were pulled from the water following an "emergency water landing," according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
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Central Command confirmed the helicopter went down at 3:30 a.m. EST, adding there is no indication the emergency was "caused by hostile action."
The three rescued crew members are in stable condition, "abroad, George H. W. Bush. U.S. Navy assets in the region."
The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
The USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier has been deployed in the Middle East since the end of April, making it one of just two aircraft carriers currently stationed in the region.
Despite the U.S. lifting its blockade of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a substantial American military presence in the area continues.
The most recent Operation Epic Fury update presented to Congress noted that the U.S. had lost 42 fixed-wing or rotor aircraft, according to CBS.
This figure does not account for the U.S. Apache helicopter shot down by an Iranian drone in early June. President Donald Trump confirmed the attack on June 9, writing in a Truth Social post:
"There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack."
AH-64 Apache helicopters have proven to be a crucial asset for the American military in its enforcement of a blockade targeting Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers.
The helicopters have also been deployed by the United Arab Emirates to intercept and destroy Iranian drones.