16 Pilots Survived Houthi Ambush
Air & Space Forces Magazine • • world
Key Points:
- On March 27, 2025, F-16 "Wild Weasel" pilots Lt. Col. William “Skate” Parks and Maj. Michael “Danger” Blea narrowly survived a surface-to-air missile attack during a complex U.S. mission targeting Houthi ballistic missile production facilities in Yemen.
- The mission was part of Operation Rough Rider, a 52-day air campaign against the Houthis involving B-2 bombers, F-16s, and other aircraft, with the unusual command shift of air operations to Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
- Parks and Blea each earned the Silver Star for their valor, with the pilots facing multiple missile engagements and fuel challenges while executing suppression of enemy air defenses (SE
