Super Hornet pilot who battled the Houthis became 1st US female aviator to score an air-to-air kill, Navy says

An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet on the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier.

Hamad I Mohammed/ Reuters

• A female US Navy pilot made a historic air-to-air kill while operating over the Red Sea.
• It marked the first air-to-air kill by a female US aviator during combat.
• It came as the US Navy battled Yemen's Houthi rebels in the region.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32 made history by becoming the first US female pilot to score an air-to-air kill, according to a Navy press release.

During a nine-month deployment that began in October, the pilot, who was part of the "Fighting Swordsmen" squadron deployed to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, took down a Houthi "air-to-air contact."

The pilot was not named, and further details on the weapon used to take down the target were not provided.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet E and F models are equipped with an M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20mm cannon and can be fitted with various missiles, including AIM 9 Sidewinders, AIM 7 Sparrows, and AIM-120 AMRAAMs.

US involvement in the Red Sea started after the Houthis began targeting shipping in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza, which it launched following the Hamas militant group's October 7 attacks.

The Houthis have used aerial drones, drone boats, and missiles to target ships navigating the region.

As these attacks ramped up, the US and allies such as the UK became actively engaged in the region and launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, which aimed to ward off further Houthi strikes.

The Virginia-based VFA 32 squadron, which operates 12 F/A-18F Super Hornet jets, flew over 3,000 combat hours, completed nearly 1,500 combat missions, and fired more than 20 air-to-air missiles against Houthi "attack" drones as part of its deployment, according to the Navy statement.

It also led two self-defense strikes on targets in Houthi-controlled Yemen, "destroying munitions and command and control facilities which were used to target civilian vessels," the statement says.

Manufacturer Boeing calls the Super Hornet "the backbone" of the Navy carrier air wing.

The female pilot's kill wasn't the only historic air-to-air shot during the Red Sea battle.

An E/A-18G Growler squadron that was also stationed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower became "the first Growler squadron in Navy history to score an air-to-air kill," per another Navy press release.

The electronic warfare Growler is used by the US military for tactical jamming and electronic protection.

"I can't remember the last time the Navy had a more challenging deployment with a combination of multiple extensions, severely limited opportunities for R&R, and true combat," Cmdr. Carl Ellsworth said, per the release.

"Not just for aviators, but the crew of the whole strike group as well, in the most kinetic action at sea since World War II. Words can't do justice to how proud I am of this 'Zapper' Team," he added.

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