WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The rescue of two U.S. Army

helicopter crew members by a Navy drone has spotlighted Task

Force 59, the U.S. Navy's first dedicated unmanned systems unit,

based in Bahrain and part of Naval Forces Central Command

(NAVCENT), which oversees U.S. naval operations in the Middle

East.

Since its establishment in 2021, the task force has been testing

and deploying an expanding fleet of sea drones across the

region, reflecting a broader Pentagon effort to develop

autonomous vessels as cost-effective, rapid-response assets,

though the concept has faced notable setbacks and technical

challenges.

Five key points about sea drones:

1. The U.S. operates both surface and underwater unmanned

vessels, designed for specific roles and missions.

2. Surface vessels range widely in size. On the smaller end are

the 5-metre long angular speedboats like the Global Autonomous

Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) used for reconnaissance of ports,

shorelines and vessels. Larger high-speed boats such as the

L3Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 can perform surveillance,

assist with targeting and relay communications at sea.

3. The Navy operates unmanned underwater vehicles across several

classes - large, medium, and small - each designed for different

missions and depths. Large underwater drones can travel

thousands of miles on their own, while smaller ones are used for

shorter-range tasks such as mine detection. Much of what the

U.S. military has developed and deployed in this category is

classified, and systems that become public tend to disappear

from view quickly.

4. Sea drones serve diverse roles. Many are built for

surveillance and to track the enemy, or help clear mines, while

others are designed for offensive or combat-related tasks.

Central Command told Reuters the rescue was carried out by a

drone but did not specify the model. One possible scenario is

that a large drone arrived at the scene and the crew got on

board.

5. Some sea drones have had great success. Ukraine's Magura V5 -

not a U.S. asset - is the most combat-proven sea drone. It has

sunk multiple Russian warships and, in December 2024, shot down

a Russian helicopter-marking the first instance of a sea drone

destroying an aircraft.