Since the end of last week, the people of Earth are tiptoeing on the verge of the abyss. A drone strike somewhere in the Middle East, the killing of a local general, and a cascade of words of anger paint a grim picture for the newly-born decade.
As the saber-rattling between the U.S. and Iran intensifies by the day, shiny weapons are being taken out of their racks or hangars and put on display by both sides.
Just a few days after the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, a threatening show of airpower came into view, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force: 52 combat-ready F-35A Lightning multirole combat aircraft, taking off in rapid succession somewhere in Utah.
The exercise was conducted by the 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings at the Hill Air Force Base, and officially it was “planned for months.” But at least two coincidences point to this being a not-so-covert message sent to Iran.
First, timing. The exercise took place on January 6, three days after the U.S. strike on Soleimani and on the same day the general’s body arrived in Tehran.
Secondly, numbers. The mother of all coincidences, the number of aircraft chosen to take part in the exercise, 52, is equal to the number of Iranian targets Donald Trump said the U.S. military has in its sights. The threat was made by the president just one day before the exercise took place.
Scheduled for months or not, the drill, despite being limited to a bunch of airplanes taking off, is meant as a show of force the Iranians need to see.
The photo you see above shows the aircraft neatly lined up on the runway at Hill. The Air Force calls this taxing in formation an elephant walk, a necessary step when conducting minimum interval takeoffs.
An impressive, scary, and very rare sight.
Just a few days after the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, a threatening show of airpower came into view, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force: 52 combat-ready F-35A Lightning multirole combat aircraft, taking off in rapid succession somewhere in Utah.
The exercise was conducted by the 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings at the Hill Air Force Base, and officially it was “planned for months.” But at least two coincidences point to this being a not-so-covert message sent to Iran.
First, timing. The exercise took place on January 6, three days after the U.S. strike on Soleimani and on the same day the general’s body arrived in Tehran.
Secondly, numbers. The mother of all coincidences, the number of aircraft chosen to take part in the exercise, 52, is equal to the number of Iranian targets Donald Trump said the U.S. military has in its sights. The threat was made by the president just one day before the exercise took place.
Scheduled for months or not, the drill, despite being limited to a bunch of airplanes taking off, is meant as a show of force the Iranians need to see.
The photo you see above shows the aircraft neatly lined up on the runway at Hill. The Air Force calls this taxing in formation an elephant walk, a necessary step when conducting minimum interval takeoffs.
An impressive, scary, and very rare sight.
Today we launched about 50 F-35s in rapid succession. Part of a long-planned combat power exercise with @388fw, we pushed the boundaries and tested our Airmen’s ability to deploy @thef35 en masse. We’re ready to fly, fight, and win. @usairforce @USAFReserve @USAF_ACC pic.twitter.com/QskjR6lsch
— 419th Fighter Wing (@419fw) January 6, 2020