US halts search for missing servicemember near Iran

The US has suspended rescue efforts for a servicemember missing after a helicopter made an emergency landing in waters near Iran, following over 102 hours of searching.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet announced on 5/7 that it has suspended the search for a servicemember missing after a helicopter emergency landing in the Arabian Sea near Iran. The decision came after over 102 hours of extensive search operations conducted by the US navy and air force within the US Central Command's area of responsibility.

The incident occurred on the morning of 1/7, when an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, operating from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea. The 5th Fleet reported that three of the four crewmembers were recovered and returned to the aircraft carrier, but one remained missing. The servicemember was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5. The cause of the incident is under investigation, with the US navy confirming it was "not due to hostile action."

The destroyer USS Donald Cook and a US MH-60S helicopter in the Arabian Sea on 17/6. Photo: US Navy

The comprehensive search and rescue operation involved multiple forces, covering more than 36,000 square kilometers. Assets mobilized for the operation included aircraft from Carrier Air Wings 7 and 9, helicopter squadrons from the USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, two P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance squadrons, and numerous US air force aircraft. Several destroyers also participated: the USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, USS Higgins, USS Mason, and USS John Finn. Emergency landings at sea are inherently dangerous, even for experienced helicopter crews, as aircraft often have a high center of gravity and are prone to capsizing after water impact.

How US soldiers train to escape from a sinking helicopter. Video: US Department of Defense

This incident marks the second US military helicopter mishap in the region near Iran within about one month. In early June, an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashed near the coast of Oman. Its two crewmembers were later rescued by a Corsair unmanned surface vessel.

Following the Apache crash, the US accused an Iranian suicide unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of shooting down the helicopter. In retaliation, the US launched airstrikes against enemy military targets near the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran denied the accusation and retaliated with its own actions.

The MH-60 Seahawk is a US navy multi-mission helicopter, developed from the army's UH-60 Black Hawk. The MH-60S variant, commissioned in 2002, serves various roles: resupply, search and rescue, special operations support, and mine countermeasures.

Beyond these incidents, open-source statistics as of 30/6 indicate at least 57 US aircraft have been destroyed or heavily damaged since the conflict began in late February. This includes important assets such as the E-3G Sentry early warning aircraft, F-35A stealth fighters, and many F-15E multirole combat aircraft.