Fighter jets are parked on the deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, commonly known as “Ike,” in the southern Red Sea, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (Photo by Bernat Almangue/AP)
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A naval aviator became the first female U.S. pilot to “fire an air-to-air attack and shoot down an aircraft” in combat.
Military sector Said Last week, an unnamed Navy pilot was revealed to be part of a squadron of strike fighter jets known as the “Fighting Swordsmen” who successfully shot down attack drones deployed by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The squadron was stationed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. Hamas-led attacks on Israel October 7th.
The Carrier Strike Group returned to Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, on 14 July, completing a nine-month combat deployment.
“The success of the entire squadron over the past nine months is due to every member of the command and the friends and families back home who support them,” Lt. Col. Jason Hock said in a statement.
“I could not be more proud of the Swordsmen’s performance every day in incredibly challenging conditions. We have proven time and time again that the flexibility a Carrier Strike Group brings to the fight is unmatched, and it’s all thanks to our highly trained and motivated Sailors who go above and beyond the call of duty every day,” he added.
During their deployment, the Combat Swordsmen flew approximately 1,500 combat missions in support of U.S.-led operations Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Guardian of Prosperity. Announced in response to Houthi attacks in the area in December.
The United States, Britain and several allies, including Bahrain, have joined forces to counter attacks on merchant ships and other vessels in the Red Sea carried out by the Iran-backed Houthis. They said they do In response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza following the October 7 attacks.
According to the Navy, the Fighting Swordsmen fired more than 20 air-to-air missiles at Houthi one-way attack drones in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The group also led two of seven “defense attacks” in parts of Yemen under Houthi control, destroying “ammunition and command and control facilities used to attack civilian ships,” the official said.
