US Air Force’s massive 53-aircraft runway exercise ‘sends a message you can’t ignore’ to rivals like China

Dozens of fighter jets, military helicopters, and Patriot missile defense systems lined the runway at a US Air Force base, which could be the largest “elephant walk” ever in Japan.

The “elephant walk” exercise at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, was part of a broader capability demonstration, showcasing US military airpower as China’s growing military presence fuels tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

Here are the various military aircraft and assets featured in the exercise, which drills airmen on readying large numbers of aircraft to take off in rapid succession.

What is an elephant walk?

Dating back to World War II, the term “elephant walk” referred to the taxiing of military aircraft en masse before taking off in single-file formations like a herd of elephants walking trunk-to-tail.

Elephant walks not only demonstrate operational airpower and readiness but also train military pilots in wartime operations that involve launching a large number of sorties in a short period of time.

Third-largest elephant walk in Air Force history

Elephant walks typically involve a large number of aircraft, and the Kadena Air Base event on Okinawa was no exception — 53 Air Force and Navy aircraft, as well as two Army Patriot air defense batteries, participated in the runway display.

The elephant walk could be the largest to ever take place in Japan, nearly twice the size of last year’s 33-aircraft display at the base, which featured F-22 Raptors and F-16 Fighting Falcons.

The Kadena elephant walk is among the largest ever by the US Air Force, outnumbering an elephant walk in 2020 at Hill Air Force Base in Utah that only featured F-35A Lightning II aircraft.

In April 2023, 80 aircraft were displayed in an elephant walk at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.

At Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, a 70-aircraft demonstration consisted of only F-15E Strike Eagles, making it the largest single-type elephant walk.

Rescue helicopters, drones, and fighter jets

Fighter jets made up more than half of the elephant walk, with 24 F-35As, eight F-15Es, and two Navy EA-18 Growlers.

Six HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters led the herd, along with two MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are used for surveillance and precision strikes.

Cargo planes, tankers, and spy planes

Two MC-130J Commando II special operations cargo planes and six KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft brought up the rear of the formation.

Three spy planes also made an appearance in the elephant walk — one E-3G Sentry radar surveillance aircraft, one RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft, and one P-8 Poseidon operated by the Navy for maritime patrol and reconnaissance.

The formation was flanked by two US Army MIM-104 Patriot missile interceptors, which have proven to be vital assets in the US’ air defense strategy against Chinese missile threats.

Exercise Beverly Herd

The airpower demonstration on Okinawa was an iteration of Exercise Beverly Herd, an annual military exercise that prepares US and allied forces for combat in the Pacific.

Aside from the elephant walk, rescue and maintenance squadrons stationed at Kadena also practiced surveilling damage on an airfield, and Air Force civil engineers worked with Navy specialists to remove simulated unexploded ordnance from the runway.

At Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, about 11 miles from Kadena, F-35 fighter squadrons from Eielson Air Force Base are also training in warfighting concepts and maneuvers focused on Agile Combat Employment, which is designed to increase lethality and survivability in combat.

‘A message you can’t ignore’

The military exercises come as China escalates its military presence in the Pacific over Taiwan, the self-governing island which Beijing claims as its own.

“An elephant walk like this sends a message you can’t ignore,” Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, 18th Wing command chief master sergeant, said in a statement. “It shows our Airmen, allies, and adversaries that we’re united, capable, and ready.”

China’s rapid military build-up has been fueling tension with other US allies on the First Island Chain, which includes Japan and the Philippines. The latter nation also has ongoing territorial disputes with China, primarily in the South China Sea.

Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

The Beverly Herd exercises were among a series of military drills the US and its allies are hosting in the Indo-Pacific theater to counter growing Chinese aggression in the region.

Earlier this month, the US and the Philippines held a joint exercise, Balikatan, at a strategic chokepoint south of Taiwan. China criticized the military drills, accusing the US and the Philippines of using Taiwan as an excuse to “provoke tension and confrontation.”

“This kind of teamwork and presence is exactly how we maintain deterrence in the Indo-Pacific,” Wolfgang said of the Kadena elephant walk.

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