A historic milestone has been achieved by a female pilot from the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32. This aviator, whose identity remains undisclosed, became the first woman in U.S. military history to secure an air-to-air combat victory. Flying an F/A-18F Super Hornet, she successfully downed a one-way attack drone launched by Houthi forces targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The landmark event took place during the squadron’s deployment on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was dispatched to the Middle East in October 2023, tasked with intercepting missiles and drones aimed at merchant vessels. Throughout the nine-month deployment, VFA-32 executed more than 1,500 combat missions, accumulating over 3,000 combat hours. These operations were part of both Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Prosperity Guardian, addressing threats from ISIS and Houthi attacks respectively.
Commander Jason Hoch, leader of Strike Fighter Squadron 32, praised the squadron’s performance, highlighting the crew’s flexibility and dedication under demanding conditions. “The success of the entire squadron over the past nine months is a testament to all the members of the command and their friends and family at home that support them,” Hoch stated in a Navy release. The squadron’s efforts were marked by the firing of over 20 air-to-air missiles against Houthi drones.
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