24 F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from the 3rd Wing and 477th Fighter Group taken part in a close formation taxi with an E-3 Sentry and a C-17 Globemaster III, known as an Elephant Walk, March 26, 2019, during a Polar Force exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Elephant Walk, is a U.S. Air Force term for the taxiing of military aircraft right before takeoff, when they are in close formation.
“This two-week exercise gives squadrons an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to forward deploy and deliver overwhelming combat airpower,” according to a news release put out by U.S. Air Force.
Photographs of the close-formation taxi were posted on Facebook by Air Force officials who said the display was part of Polar Force, a two-week exercise giving squadrons a chance to demonstrate their ability to forward deploy and deliver overwhelming combat airpower.
The benefits of an Elephant Walk include being able to show the capability of the units as well as teamwork. It is often performed to prepare squadrons for wartime operations and to prepare pilots for the launching of fully armed aircraft in one mass event.
