First US fighter ace since Vietnam emerges in Red Sea conflict

As the skies over the Red Sea grow more volatile in light of recent attacks on international shipping in the region from Houthi-backed militants in Yemen, Capt Earl Ehrhart V – a USMC AV-8B Harrier II pilot – has intercepted and shot down seven confirmed Houthi drones since December 2023, becoming the first American fighter ace since the end of the Vietnam War. While formally assigned to the USMC’s Marine Attack Squadron 231 (VMA-231) ‘Ace of Spades’, Capt Ehrhart V