A US military exercise in Japan brought together 28 F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets on a runway. Commonly called the Elephant Walk, the training took place yesterday (07) at the Iwakuni Marine Station, in the south of the Asian country.
According to the USMC, the operation was a demonstration of capabilities during a pre-planned readiness exercise, involving aircraft from the 354th Expeditionary Wing (354th AEW) of the US Air Force (USAF) and the 12th Marine Aircraft Group (MAG 12). .
Ten F-22s and ten F-35s ed eight Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B fighters on the runway at Iwakuni Air Base. Another five F/A-18 Hornet fighters and a KC-130J Super Hercules tanker, also from the USMC, accompanied the stealth planes.
The maneuver is called the Elephant Walk, a term that dates back to World War II, when large numbers of bombers would taxi in single file before taking off at short notice for a mission.
The name Elephant Walk was attributed because the taxiing aircraft resemble a group of elephants walking together to a watering hole. After World War II, the term was used again during the Vietnam War, this time referring to bomber formations. B-52 Stratofortress.
The major training exercise tested the units' ability to quickly generate t air power in of Japan's defense, ensuring the stability and security of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, the Air Force said in a statement.
“It was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our t airpower capability alongside our MAG-12 partners with their various aircraft,” said US Air Force Colonel David Berkland, commander of the 354th AEW.
“This demonstration and the t training missions we flew afterwards allowed us to improve our already formidable integration tactics with the US Marine Corps.”
The 354th AEW has been conducting Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine training in Japan since last month. The Marines' base at Iwakuni is uniquely qualified to enable the t Force, whether it be providing use of the station's port and airfield, serving as a launching point for non-organic aircraft operations, or any other operational activity.
After demonstrating capabilities, pilots conducted local training missions in the approved training airspace around Iwakuni.
