The United States Air Force, the Thai Air Force, and the Singaporean Air Force flew together over the skies of Thailand in a “international elephant walk” as a show of trilateral cooperation and military cohesion.
Last month’s Cope Tiger 25 exercise marked the 31st year of the annual drills featuring aircraft from the United States Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Over ten days, the three nations participated in numerous drills to enhance interoperability and promote regional stability.
On Friday, the U.S. Air Force also released a photo of the “first formation of its kind in the thirty-one-year history of the Cope Tiger exercise,” namely twenty aircraft from the three nations lined up in an “international elephant walk” on the taxiway at Korat Royal Air Base, Thailand, on March 25, 2025.
Though not the largest elephant walk, it is still noteworthy for including warbirds from three different air forces. The aircraft included F-16 Fighting Falcons, Saab JAS-39 Gripens, Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs, KAI FA-50 Golden Eagles, F-15SG Eagles, and Airbus A330 MRTT tankers.
The first elephant walk occurred during the Second World War, when large fleets of Allied bombers massed for attack. Observers on the ground noted that as the aircraft lined up, they resembled the nose-to-tail formations of elephants walking to a watering hole.
Since then, military elephant walks have been routinely conducted as a show of force and operational strength. The U.S. Air Force employs elephant walks to show a unit’s capability and the teamwork required to perform such an operation. If needed, they can also help pilots prepare for the launching of fully armed aircraft in a mass event.
The History of the Elephant Walk in the Air Force
The elephant walk at Korat Royal Air Base comes two years after 4,000 student U.S. Air Force airmen from the 82nd Training Wing shared the runway with eighty training aircraft from the 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, in possibly the most significant and most unique elephant walk in the service’s history. The walk was conducted to highlight the importance of training and partnerships.
Sheppard AFB is home to three of the eight technical training groups in the Air Force and Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training. It is also home to the service’s largest Noncommissioned Officer Academy.
“The key to airpower is exceptional Airmen, and the key to exceptional Airmen is exceptional training,” Brig. Gen. Lyle K. Drew, 82nd TW commander, said at the time. “That’s what we do here at Sheppard [AFB], and this elephant walk was our message to the world that the United States and its international partners remain committed to delivering the best-trained Airmen in the world.“
Last year, eight legendary U-2 “Dragon Lady” spy planes were lined up in an elephant walk on the taxiway at Beale AFB, California, as part of the United States Air Force’s efforts to showcase the joint airpower of the multiple wings stationed at the facility.
In February, two dozen Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors from the 1st Fighter Wing conducted an elephant walk at Langley AFB, Virginia, one of the largest involving the fifth-generation air superiority fighters.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ Bluebearwing.
