During Israel’s recent 12-day war with Iran, a married couple, both senior combat navigators in the Israel Air Force, played an active role in operations over Iranian territory, flying sorties targeting strategic threats. The woman, identified only as “Yud” for security reasons, became the first female deputy commander of an IAF fighter squadron to participate in such a high-risk mission. Her husband, known as “Bet”, commands a fighter squadron.

The couple’s participation emphasizes the evolving role of women in the Israeli military, particularly within combat aviation. In one notable mission, an Israeli fighter jet flying deep into Iranian airspace was crewed entirely by women, a first in such a sensitive operation, according to the military.

Speaking to Channel 12, Yud described the emotional difficulty of leaving their two young children before the operation. “It was a different hug, toward an unknown place,” she said. “We didn’t know how these two weeks would end.”