U.S. Navy fighter pilot becomes first woman with air-to-air combat kill

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A fighter pilot maneuvering their jet on the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea in June Associated Press/Photo by Bernat Armangue

U.S. Navy fighter pilot becomes first woman with air-to-air combat kill

The U.S. Navy last week confirmed that a female fighter pilot in Strike Fighter Squadron 32 killed a Houthi combatant in air-to-air combat during a deployment to the Red Sea. The statement did not identify the pilot by name. Strike Fighter Squadron 32, also known as the Fighting Swordsmen, flew 12 F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The squadron has since returned to the United States.

How is the fight against the Houthi rebels proceeding? U.S. Central Command reported on Sunday that in the previous 24 hours, U.S. forces destroyed several unmanned boats operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The previous day, U.S. forces destroyed an aerial drone, according to U.S. Central Command. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been carrying out attacks on merchant and military vessels in the waters around Yemen since Israel began its war against the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza late last year.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about the Houthi rebels’ recent attacks on Israel.