A United States senator who was the first woman to fly in combat for the US Air Force has said that she was raped by a superior officer while serving in the military.

Senator Martha McSally said she did not report the rape when it happened, as she felt ashamed and confused.

She told a hearing into the armed services' efforts to prevent sexual assaults that when she did come forward, later in her career, she was horrified at the way her experiences were handled.