The U.S. Air Force ‘Elephant Walked’ 25 F-35s on the Runway at Kadena Air Base — Inside China’s First Island Chain

The U.S. Air Force ‘Elephant Walked’ 25 F-35s on the Runway at Kadena Air Base — Inside China’s First Island Chain

On May 6, 2025, the U.S. Air Force conducted one of the largest elephant walks seen at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa in recent years — a coordinated mass-launch demonstration featuring 25 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, 8 F-15E Strike Eagles, 6 KC-135 Stratotankers, an E-3G Sentry AWACS, an RC-135 Rivet Joint, two MQ-9 Reapers, six HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters, and two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers, all backed by two U.S. Army Patriot missile …