Direct proof of use
U.S. Navy and DVIDS releases directly place F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Arabian Sea in May 2021 while the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was providing airpower to protect U.S. and coalition forces conducting drawdown operations from Afghanistan.
A June 2021 DVIDS story on USS Ronald Reagan's entry into the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations identified an F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the carrier and stated that the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group would provide airpower to protect U.S. and coalition forces during the Afghanistan drawdown.
Sources: Navy F/A-18E Eisenhower Drawdown Photo, DVIDS F/A-18F Eisenhower Maintenance, DVIDS Ronald Reagan Enters 5th Fleet
Timeline
On May 5, 2021, an F/A-18E Super Hornet from VFA-105 launched from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during flight operations in the Arabian Sea as the carrier strike group supported naval operations and protected forces during the Afghanistan drawdown.
On May 12, 2021, a DVIDS video showed sailors maintaining an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-32 aboard Eisenhower in the same drawdown-support context.
On June 25, 2021, USS Ronald Reagan entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations with Carrier Air Wing 5; DVIDS reported that the strike group would provide airpower for the drawdown, and Stars and Stripes later reported that Reagan's F/A-18 Super Hornets flew Kabul-area missions to protect U.S. and allied assets during the withdrawal.
By August 18, 2021, during the Kabul evacuation, General Mark Milley described the U.S. mission as securing and defending Kabul International Airport and listed multiple F-18 squadrons among the Navy and Air Force assets supporting the ground force.
Sources: Navy F/A-18E Eisenhower Drawdown Photo, DVIDS F/A-18F Eisenhower Maintenance, DVIDS Ronald Reagan Enters 5th Fleet, Stars and Stripes Ronald Reagan Return, DOD Austin Milley Afghanistan Briefing
Operational role
The documented Super Hornet role in the final Afghanistan phase was carrier-based force protection and contingency airpower rather than a separately documented strike campaign. The May and June carrier releases describe airpower to protect U.S. and coalition forces during drawdown operations, while the August Pentagon briefing frames the larger Kabul mission around airport security, defense, and evacuation.
The available public sources identify U.S. Navy carrier air wings and specific squadrons, including VFA-105, VFA-32, and VFA-195, but they do not establish that the cited Super Hornets released weapons in Afghanistan during the drawdown. The strongest supported wording is therefore fielding and use as protective carrier-based airpower for the withdrawal and evacuation.
Sources: Navy F/A-18E Eisenhower Drawdown Photo, DVIDS F/A-18F Eisenhower Maintenance, DVIDS Ronald Reagan Enters 5th Fleet, DOD Austin Milley Afghanistan Briefing
