Direct proof of use
The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is documented in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis through U.S. Navy and Defense Department material tied to Red Sea operations. Naval Aviation News reported that, in January 2024, the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office received an urgent request from a squadron in the Red Sea supporting Operation Prosperity Guardian to carry more AIM-9X missiles on its Super Hornets for defense against Houthi attacks on merchant vessels.
A later Defense Department caption placed a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 143 over the Red Sea on March 23, 2025, in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. The caption described the aircraft as part of a large-scale operation against Iran-backed Houthis to restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Sources: Naval Aviation News AIM-9X Red Sea, Defense Department Red Sea Super Hornet
Timeline
The supported timeline begins with Operation Prosperity Guardian-era defensive adaptation in January 2024, when the Navy accelerated clearance work for expanded AIM-9X carriage on Super Hornets operating in the Red Sea.
On March 15, 2025, CENTCOM announced precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to restore freedom of navigation. Eight days later, the Defense Department published the VFA-143 Super Hornet Red Sea flight caption within that campaign context. DVIDS imagery from May 9, 2025 further shows VFA-11 and VFA-143 Super Hornets launching or preparing to launch from USS Harry S. Truman in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
Sources: Naval Aviation News AIM-9X Red Sea, CENTCOM Large Scale Houthi Operation, Defense Department Red Sea Super Hornet, DVIDS Truman Deployment Super Hornets
Narrative
In this conflict, the Super Hornet appears as a U.S. carrier air wing aircraft used for maritime-security and force-protection operations around the Red Sea. The clearest Operation Prosperity Guardian-specific source does not report a particular missile shot or bomb drop by a Super Hornet; instead, it documents Super Hornets in the Red Sea and the Navy's urgent clearance of additional AIM-9X carriage to improve defensive capability against Houthi attacks on merchant shipping.
During Operation Rough Rider, public U.S. sources identify the broader campaign as precision strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen and separately document VFA-143 Super Hornets flying over the Red Sea. Public captions and campaign releases do not identify the exact Super Hornet loadout, target, or sortie result for the March 23 flight. The supported record is therefore fielding and operational use by U.S. Navy carrier aviation in Red Sea Crisis operations, with documented defensive counter-air preparation and later campaign flight activity rather than a source-specific strike-by-strike account.
Sources: Naval Aviation News AIM-9X Red Sea, CENTCOM Large Scale Houthi Operation, Defense Department Red Sea Super Hornet, DVIDS Truman Deployment Super Hornets, CTC Operation Rough Rider Assessment
