US Navy fighter pilot becomes first American woman to score air-to-air victory

A fighter pilot in the United States (US) Navy has become the first American woman to score a victory in air-to-air combat. A report by CNN on Monday (July 22) said that the pilot was not identified.

The pilot was flyingan F/A-18 Super Hornet off the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower as part of Strike Fighter Squadron 32, nicknamed the “Flying Swordsmen.”

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The air-to-air combat victory came against a one-way Houthi attack drone in the Red Sea, one of dozens the Yemen-based group has deployed against civilian merchant ships in the region and nearby waters in reaction to the ongoing Gaza war, CNN reported citing theCarrier Strike Group 2.

Over 20 missiles fired against Houthi drones

The Swordsmen, one of four strike fighter squadronsdeployed on the Eisenhower, fired over 20 air-to-air missiles against the Houthi drones during the missions, the navy said.

During one such mission, the VFA-32 became home tothe first US female pilot to engage and kill in air-to-air combat.

A historic service

TheFlying Swordsmen finished its deployment earlier this month and returned to the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach on July 14. The navy called the squadron's service historic.

In a statement,Commander Jason Hoch, the commanding officer of the squadron, said, "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."

"I couldn't be prouder of the Swordsmen's performance day-in and day-out in incredibly demanding conditions," Hoch added.

(With inputs from agencies)