The U.S. Air Force staged a major show of combat readiness this week by deploying 53 aircraft and two air defense missile systems in a large-scale “elephant walk” at Kadena Air Base, a critical American outpost in Okinawa, Japan.
The event, held on May 6, 2025, was part of a routine operational readiness exercise and is among the largest of its kind in recent memory.
Photographs from the event showed fighter jets, helicopters, drones, and surveillance aircraft taxiing in tight formation down the runway. Toward the front were stealth fighters and helicopters, followed by larger refueling and reconnaissance aircraft. Flanking the runway were two MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems operated by the U.S. Army.
U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps, along with U.S. Army Patriot missile batteries line up on the runway for an elephant walk during a routine operational readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 6, 2025. pic.twitter.com/eE0VQrw75A
— U.S. Forces Japan (@USForcesJapan) May 7, 2025
The air base, located about 370 miles from Taiwan and 400 miles from mainland China, serves as the closest major U.S. air installation to the Taiwan Strait.
Among the aircraft involved were 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth strike fighters, 8 F-15E Strike Eagles, 6 HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, and 2 MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Also participating were electronic warfare aircraft, including two EA-18G Growlers from the U.S. Navy and a P-8 Poseidon, designed for submarine detection. Additional aircraft included surveillance planes with electronic intelligence equipment, airborne early warning systems, and aerial refueling tankers.
“An elephant walk like this sends a message you can’t ignore — it shows our Airmen, allies, and adversaries that we’re united, capable, and ready,” said Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, 18th Wing command chief master sergeant.
Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, commander of the 18th Wing, emphasized the broader significance of the exercise. “Working alongside our allies and partners, Kadena stands ready to project airpower throughout the region to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Evans said in a press release
The Air Force is in the process of upgrading Kadena’s aircraft fleet, replacing older F-15C/D fighters with more advanced F-15EX models. During this transition period, the base is hosting a rotating force of fighter jets to maintain operational readiness.
This week’s event exceeded the scale of a 33-aircraft elephant walk held at Kadena last year and surpassed the 52-aircraft display conducted at Hill Air Force Base in Utah in 2020. According to the military news outlet Task and Purpose, it is one of the largest such exercises in recent history.
