Kadena Air Base, located on the Japanese island of Okinawa, is the US military’s closest base to the disputed island
09:28 ET, 08 May 2025Updated 08:12 ET, 09 May 2025
The US Air Force’s 18th Wing at Kadena demonstrated their battle readiness and commitment to maintaining stability in the region(Image: AFRL/SWNS)
The US Air Force has flexed its muscles in a show of strength with an awe-inspiring image showcasing its military prowess near Taiwan.
Taken at the strategic Kadena Air Base in Japan, merely 360 miles from Taiwan, the snapshot features an impressive lineup of 50 military aircraft along with two missile launchers.
Kadena stands as the United States’ vanguard airbase in the Western Pacific, nearest to the democratically governed island over which China asserts dominance and has even threatened military action against this US security ally.
With eyes on bolstering capabilities, the Air Force is phasing out its aging F-15C/D jets at Kadena in favor of the state-of-the-art F-15EX models that promise enhanced agility and performance.
Showcasing an array of what it calls “one of the most diverse formations” in the Indo-Pacific theater, the US Air Force’s 18th Wing at Kadena demonstrated their battle readiness and commitment to maintaining stability in the region through a display of “combat readiness and regional deterrence”, as touted in their press release, reports the Express.
US Air Force, US Army, and US Navy assets line up on the runway for an(Image: (Image: Senior Airman Tylir Meyer/U.S. Air Force))
In this formidable assembly of aerial firepower, the fleet consisted predominantly of Air Force machines: 24 cutting-edge F-35A stealth fighters, eight fierce F-15E strike aircraft, six HH-60 helicopters for rescue missions, six KC-135 refueling tankers to sustain air operations, a pair of MQ-9 reconnaissance drones, two versatile MC-130J for combat transport and special ops, an RC-135 for intelligence gathering, and an E-3G Sentry for advanced airborne warning and control.
The F-35A and F-15E fighter jets have made quite the journey from their home bases in the United States to Okinawa, marking the most recent rotation of top-notch aircraft. These powerful machines were dispatched with the F-35As flying out from squadrons in Alaska and Utah, while the F-15Es took off from North Carolina.
Joining this show of force were two EA-18G electronic warfare planes, a P-8 maritime patrol craft from the US Navy, and the impressive MIM-104 surface-to-air missile launchers, famously known as the Patriot, from the US Army.
This assembly was part of what’s known as an ‘elephant walk’, a military drill where aircraft taxi in close formation as a readiness display, aimed at demonstrating the base’s capability to launch numerous sorties rapidly.
Kadena Air Base demonstrated its prowess back in January when it conducted an “elephant walk” featuring no less than nine KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, under the watchful eye of the 18th Wing.
US Air Force Brigadier General Nicholas Evans, in command of the 18th Wing, underscored the facility’s state of readiness, commenting on its unwavering ability to deliver airpower that contributes to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Chief Master Sergeant Brandon Wolfgang spoke to the significance of such maneuvers: “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…This kind of teamwork and presence is exactly how we maintain deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
“The sheer diversity of capabilities in this exercise is a testament to the lethality Kadena can leverage to deter adversarial aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.”
AloJapan.com