The U.S. Air Force conducted its first ever “elephant walk” of F-35 fighter jets on Monday, as part of a “combat power exercise.”
The display included dozens of jets to demonstrate the Air Force’s ability to “launch any number of aircraft to support the national defense mission at a moment’s notice,” CNN reported.
“We are ready to fight tonight, and exercising with multiple squadrons of F-35s can demonstrate our ability to defeat potential adversaries wherever they may arise,” assistant director of operations and exercise project officer of the 34th Fighter Squadron, Maj. Caleb Guthmann, said in a statement.
“Launching aircraft from multiple squadrons simultaneously presents various challenges and allows the wings to evaluate the capabilities of maintenance professionals, as well as pilots and command and control teams,” an Air Force statement said.
The F-35, which has reduced capability to be seen by adversary radars, has been called the most expensive weapons system in history.
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