The US Air Force has today launched more than 50 fully-armed Lightning II stealth fighters in a single wave.
The 52 F-35A aircrafts, worth a whopping $4.2 billion (£3.19bn), took off in quick succession from the Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
The exercise carried out by the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings displayed the Air Force's huge strength and sends a warning to Iran.
The US continues to brace for Iran to respond to the drone strike killing of its most powerful general - Qassem Soleimani.
The active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings conducted an F-35A Combat Power Exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, January 6, 2020. US Air Force/R. Nial Bradshaw
The exercise, known as an “elephant walk,” involved a mass takeoff of 52 F-35As.
The jets involved in the exercise are the only combat-capable F-35As in the service’s entire inventory.
The US Air Force has sent a warning to Iran (Image: US Air Force/R. Nial Bradshaw)
The exercise suggests that the planes are growing easier to maintain, but they’re also really, really expensive to fly.
They added the exercise "pushed the boundaries and tested our Airmen's ability to deploy the F-35As en masse".
Jets from the 388th and 419th Wings stand by for the exercise. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY TODD CROMAR
The 388th Fight Wingers said: "The exercise, which was planned for months, demonstrated their ability to employ a large force of F-35As – testing readiness in the areas of personnel accountability, aircraft generation, ground operations, flight operations, and combat capability against air and ground targets.
"A little more than four years after receiving their first combat-coded F-35A Lightning II aircraft, Hill’s fighter wings have achieved full warfighting capability."
A US Air Force pilot taxies his Air Force F-35A aircraft in Utah (Image: REUTERS)
Each F-35A fighter is worth about $89.2 million (£67 million).
ALSO READ: A Look At The Most Significant Weapons in the U.S. Military Arsenal
The US received its first F-35A at the Hill Air Force Base four years ago.
Since then, the Fighter Wings have been training pilots, engaging in multiple large combat exercises and supporting two Middle East combat deployments.
Image from US Air Force/R. Nial Bradshaw
Col. Steven Behmer, 388th Fighter Wing commander, said: "Every training opportunity, exercise and deployment we've completed over the past four years has been a key stepping stone in reaching full warfighting capability.
"This is just the beginning of sustained F-35A combat operations and we will remain focused on staying ready to deploy whenever, wherever we're needed."
One of twelve F-35As that refueled from Utah Air National Guard tankers after takeoff. U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD PHOTO BY TECH. SGT. JOHN WINN
Last night, Iranian adviser Hasameddin Ashena tweeted a link to a Forbes article listing all properties owned by the US President.
WATCH THE LARGEST F-35 ELEPHANT WALK IN HISTORY HERE:
LOOK: MEET: Capt. Monessa Catuncan - the First Filipina F-16 Fighter Pilot of the Elite U.S. Air Force
Found this article interesting? Share it with your friends! 👍🏼
This article first appeared on Mirror.
Enjoyed the article? We team of volunteers who hope to provide relevant and factual information. We appreciate any amount of donation to keep the inspiring stories coming from our team! 🙏
No comments:
Post a Comment