A female U.S. Navy fighter jet pilot became the first woman to score an air-to-air kill while she was deployed to fight against the Houthis in the Red Sea, where the Iranian-backed group has battled American troops for more than half a year in an engagement linked to Israel’s war in Gaza.
The unnamed female pilot served in Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, known as the “Fighting Swordsmen,” and flew an F/A-18F Super Hornet, which she used to take down a Houthi drone, according to the Navy.
The men and women of the “Fighting Swordsmen” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, deployed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE), returned home to Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, July 14, 2024, ending their historic nine-month combat deployment as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKECSG).
The strike group units departed their homeports on Oct. 13 & 14, 2023 as part of a scheduled deployment to the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility (AOR).
“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,” said Cmdr. Jason Hoch, commanding officer of VFA-32. “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.”
During their unprecedented deployment, the “Fighting Swordsmen” flew over 3,000 combat hours and completed almost 1,500 combat missions in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Prosperity Guardian.
The squadron employed over 20 air-to-air missiles against Houthi one-way attack drones, which targeted civilian merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Bab-al-Mandeb Strait. During one mission, VFA-32 became home to the first American female pilot to engage and kill an air-to-air contact.
Additionally, VFA-32 aircrew led two of the seven self-defense strikes into the Houthi-controlled territories of Yemen, destroying munitions and command and control facilities that were used to target civilian vessels.
The squadron employed nearly 120 precision-guided air-to-surface munitions to protect the freedom of navigation in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
VFA-32 is a Virginia-based U.S. Navy fighter squadron that operates a dozen F/A-18F aircraft as part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3.
The IKE strike group is commanded by Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 and comprised of flagship aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyers USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Gravely (DDG 107) of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, and the Information Warfare Commander.
Squadrons of CVW 3 include the “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105, the “Fighting Swordsmen” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, the “Rampagers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83, the “Wildcats” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131, the “Screwtops” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123, the “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, the “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7, the “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 and the “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40.