Who is Vibhav Altekar? Indian-American behind drone boat used in landmark US military rescue in Hormuz

An Indian-American technology executive has come into the spotlight after a drone boat developed by his company was used in what the US military described as its first rescue operation involving an autonomous surface vessel.Two crew members of a US Army Apache helicopter that went down near the Strait of Hormuz were rescued by the autonomous vessel Corsair, developed by Texas-based Saronic Technologies.The rescue operation marked the first known instance of the US Armed Forces using an autonomous surface vessel, remotely piloted by a human operator, to recover personnel at sea.The helicopter crashed while operating near the coast of Oman. The crew members were rescued within about two hours and were later reported to be in stable condition.The operation has drawn attention to Saronic Technologies and its co-founder and chief technology officer, Vibhav Altekar, who played a key role in developing the company's autonomous systems.Saronic Technologies was founded in September 2022 by former Navy SEAL Dino Mavrookas along with Altekar, Doug Lambert and Rob Lehman.The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and its LinkedIn profile states that it holds a USD 392 million production contract with the US Navy for autonomous surface vessels.The Corsair vessel used in the rescue operation is a 24-foot autonomous surface vessel capable of carrying up to 1,000 pounds and travelling more than 1,000 nautical miles.It can reach speeds of over 35 knots and forms part of the US military's broader effort to integrate autonomous systems into maritime operations.The Strait of Hormuz rescue is being seen as a significant milestone in that effort, demonstrating how autonomous vessels can be used not only for surveillance and reconnaissance but also for real-world rescue missions involving human lives.