Naval aviator becomes first woman pilot to secure air-to-air victory in combat

A F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot became the first woman in U.S. military history to score an air-to-air victory in combat, according to the U.S. Navy.

The pilot, who was not named by the Navy, shot down a one-way attack drone launched by Houthi rebel forces in Yemen targeting civilian commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The pilot was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, known as the “Fighting Swordsmen,” and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, following a nine-month deployment on July 14.

The Navy did not specify when the pilot achieved the historic air-to-air victory.

“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,” Cmdr. Jason Hoch, commanding officer of VFA-32, said in a Navy statement. “I couldn’t be prouder of the Swordsmen’s performance day-in and day-out in incredibly demanding conditions. We proved over and over again that the flexibility a carrier strike group brings to the fight is unmatched, and that is solely due to the highly trained and motivated Sailors who go above and beyond the call of duty each and every day.”

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Drone shot down as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian

During the deployment as part of Operations Inherent Resolve and Prosperity Guardian, which have targeted the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and Houthi rebel-led attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, respectively, the fighter squadron completed almost 1,500 missions. It employed more than 20 air-to-air missiles against Houthi-launched drones, as well as employing nearly 120 precision-guided air-to-surface munitions.

The U.S. launched Operation Prosperity Guardian in December 2023 as part of a multi-national effort to stop drone attacks on commercial shipping launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen against vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

A new first for women in US Naval aviation

This Navy pilot’s air-to-air victory comes 30 years after Lt. Kara Hultgreen became the Navy’s first fully qualified female fighter pilot. Hultgreen was killed in a crash during a training exercise in 1994.

That same year, Navy Lt. Kimberly Dyson became to first female pilot to fly an official combat mission, piloting an F/A-18C as part of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com