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DOZENS of US fighter jets have been showcased in an “elephant walk” at an airbase in Japan as Washington displays its military might.
It comes as Joe Biden branded Russian president Vladimir Putin a “dictator”, warning he has “no idea what’s coming” amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dozens of US fighter jets have been showcased in an ‘elephant walk’ at an airbase in Japan.
Pictures show planes taxiing during a wing readiness exercise
Pictures show planes taxiing during a wing readiness exercise
Pictures show two dozen F-15C/D Eagles, assigned to the 44th and 67th Fighter Squadrons, taxiing during a wing readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base in Japan.
An HH-60 Pavehawk chopper can be seen in front of the impressive fleet of jets.
The formation also featured a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and an E-3 Sentry aerial command and control plane.
The routine is known as an “elephant walk” and the term dates back to World War II.
The planes taxi down the runway in single file and it’s thought they look like elephants heading toward the watering hole.
Large fleets of Allied bombers conducted attacks in missions containing thousands of planes.
The training drill is carried out at US Air Force bases across the world and it’s designed to prepare squadrons for wartime operations.
The phrase “elephant walk” was often used during the Vietnam war when describing the long lines of B-52 Stratofortress jets as they approached their targets.
It comes as Biden issued a stark warning to Putin during Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
The commander in chief told lawmakers: “Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,”
“They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.”
He added: “Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundation of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated.”
Biden branded Putin’s aggression “totally unprovoked”.
‘UNPROVOKED’ AGGRESSION
The US has followed Canada and the EU by banning Russian planes from its airspace as western governments ramped up their sanctions on Moscow.
Biden branded Russian oligarchs “corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime” as he revealed the Justice Department is launching an investigative task force.
He vowed: “We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.”
And, the commander-in-chief declared that he and both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are joined “with an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny”.
During his 62-minute address, Biden blundered when he said Iranians when referring to the Ukrainian people.
In the embarrassing slip-up, he said: “Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he’ll never gain the hearts and souls of the Iranian people.”
Journalists and political commentators took to Twitter following the gaffe.
“Did Biden say the Iranian people?” wrote Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Twitter.
Joe Biden just said Putin will never weaken the will of the Iranian people. He meant the Ukrainian people. Good lord.” said political commentator Clay Travis.
War continues to rage in Ukraine as Russia’s invasion almost nears a week.
A massive blast sent a fireball and mushroom cloud into the sky on Tuesday after a suspected vacuum bomb was reportedly deployed near Kharkiv – the county’s second-largest city.
Reports suggest the Russians’ target was a weapons depot in the city.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said if Russia was using vacuum bombs against Ukrainian civilians it would “potentially be a war crime”.
Western officials fear Putin will turn to total war and they worry his attacks will also include weapons such as the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers as his assault on Kyiv appears to have stalled.
