Historic Achievement
A US Navy fighter pilot has made history as the first American woman to score an air-to-air combat victory, the Navy has announced. The female pilot, whose name was not disclosed in the Navy release, was operating an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, serving with Strike Fighter Squadron 32, “nicknamed the “Flying Swordsmen.”
The mission
The significant victory occurred during an engagement with a Houthi attack drone, one of many the Yemen-based group has deployed against civilian merchant ships in the Red Sea. This escalation is linked to the conflict in Gaza during Israel’s war against Hamas, according to Carrier Strike Group 2.
The squadron has accumulated over 3,000 combat hours and nearly 1,500 combat missions as part of operations Inherent Resolve, targeting ISIS, and Prosperity Guardian, established in December 2023 to counter Houthi-led attacks on international shipping. The Swordsmen fired more than 20 air-to-air missiles against Houthi drones during these missions, the Navy reported.
Historic context
This milestone comes 30 years after Lt. Kara Hultgreen became the Navy’s first carrier-based female fighter pilot, flying an F-14 Tomcat from the USS Abraham Lincoln. Female aviators also began serving on the Eisenhower in 1994.
The Eisenhower-led carrier strike group returned to US bases on July 14 after a nine-month deployment, notably longer than the usual six to eight months. Cmdr. Jason Hoch, commanding officer of VFA-32, commended the squadron’s performance in “incredibly demanding conditions” during this deployment.
Beyond the air-to-air victories, the Swordsmen led two of seven strikes against Houthi ground targets in Yemen, destroying munitions and command and control facilities. “We proved over and over again that the flexibility a carrier strike group brings to the fight is unmatched,” Hoch said.
Carrier Strike Group 2, which included the guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the destroyers USS Mason and USS Gravely, struck over 460 Houthi targets in Yemen. The group’s warships fired 155 standard missiles and 135 Tomahawk land-attack missiles, while the strike group’s aircraft fired 60 air-to-air missiles and deployed 420 air-to-surface weapons, the Navy stated.
Geopolitical context
The Houthis, an Iran-backed Shia rebel group, control large areas of Yemen and have been a significant force in the country’s ongoing civil war. Following Hamas’ attacks on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent military actions in Gaza, the Houthis have targeted Red Sea shipping and Israel with drones and missiles as part of their stated revenge against Israel.
The United Kingdom and the United States have responded to the Houthi attacks on shipping by striking Houthi targets in Yemen. Over the weekend, Israel conducted its first strike inside Yemen following a deadly drone attack by Houthi rebels on Tel Aviv.
