Posted on 01/06/2020 9:44:53 PM PST by bitt
The huge display of sortie generation capability comes as the base's F-35 force reaches full capacity after transitioning to the F-35 years ago.
The 388th and 419th Fighter Wings that call Hill Air Force Base in Utah home have just executed a massive readiness drill that included an 'elephant walk' of a whopping 52 F-35As. The exercise coincides with the wings reaching full strength following the transition to the F-35A, a process that began years ago.
The elephant walk and the massive number of flights that usually go along with it are all about sortie generation and displaying a level of readiness that could be leveraged during a full-blown crisis. Both wings held a similar exercise in November of 2018 with 35 aircraft, which was highly impressive, but 52 is a whole other story. Just the amount of hardware on the runway in terms of billions of dollars is staggering.
That same runway in the image is also quite fresh as a major rehabilitation of it wrapped up this summer. This kept many of Hill's resident aircraft away, including being sent on combat deployments, as flying needed to continue during the construction period.
We know that large waves of launches and recoveries are also part of the drill as the base gave local residents a heads-up in advance of the increased level of activity in the hours to come.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedrive.com ...
P
Iran, if you like your country you can keep your country. If you like your leaders you can keep your leaders. It’s called Odumba Care. Enjoy. Brought to you by the Magic Negro.
LOLOL!!
SRSLY? 52 aircraft (no matter HOW GOOD) is NOT an elephant walk, it’s a small static display.
When I was in that would have been 2 squadrons, not 2 wings
True, but I’m sure the number 52 was chosen to be symbolic if the 52 targets we have on Iran (or the 52 former hostages).
Though 52 fighters were involved in the exercise, there are 78 F-35A II fighters on that base. They are only part of a sophisticated system. As far as numbers go, past approaches to defense are irrelevant. Our military forces of today are new and different in many ways.
Much more lethal these days, don’t need as many.
Or a Biblical swarm of locusts!
That would be the V-22s...
Put about 200,000 drones in formation like a robotic locust swarm and let them think its a sign from Allah.
Or 1 1/2 squadrons.
I was hoping to see “52” linked to a comment about a Persian carpet....B-52 carpet bombing clue?
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