
The U.S. Air Force has performed a huge show of strength by launching 52 fully-armed Lightning II stealth fighters in a single wave from a base in Utah.

The F-35A aircraft, which are worth a total of $4.2 billion, took off in quick succession from the Hill Air Force Base in Utah on Monday as tensions mount in the Middle East over the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

Fifty two is the number of American diplomats and civilians seized by Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis, and the number of targets that Trump has threatened to strike in Iran if the regime retaliates over Soleimani's death.

The exercise was carried out by the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings, which said it showed the Air Force's ability to deploy a large force of the F-35As.

The 52 F-35A aircrafts, which are worth a whopping $4.2 billion, took off in quick succession from the Hill Air Force Base in Utah on Monday following an elephant walk down the runway

While the exercise has been planned for several months, the execution of it came in the same week the U.S. continues to brace for Iran to respond to the drone strike killing of its most powerful general in Iraq.

The Fighter Wings revealed on Monday that the F-35As have now finally reached full war-fighting capability.

'We're ready to fly, fight, and win,' the 419th Fighter Wings tweeted after the exercise.

They added the exercise 'pushed the boundaries and tested our Airmen's ability to deploy the F-35As en masse'.

The 388th Fight Wingers said: 'The exercise, which was planned for months, demonstrated their ability to employ a large force of F-35As – testing readiness in the areas of personnel accountability, aircraft generation, ground operations, flight operations, and combat capability against air and ground targets.

'A little more than four years after receiving their first combat-coded F-35A Lightning II aircraft, Hill’s fighter wings have achieved full warfighting capability.'

Each F-35A fighter is worth about $89.2 million.

The U.S. received its first F-35A at the Hill Air Force Base four years ago.

Since then, the Fighter Wings have been training pilots, engaging in multiple large combat exercises and supporting two Middle East combat deployments.

'Every training opportunity, exercise and deployment we've completed over the past four years has been a key stepping stone in reaching full warfighting capability,' Col. Steven Behmer, 388th Fighter Wing commander, said.

'This is just the beginning of sustained F-35A combat operations and we will remain focused on staying ready to deploy whenever, wherever we're needed.'

The exercise carried out by the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings showed the Air Force's ability to deploy a large force of the F-35As

While the exercise has been planned for several months, the execution of it came in the same week the U.S. continues to brace for Iran to respond to the drone strike killing of its most powerful general in Iraq

It was a huge show of strength from the Air Force in a week where the U.S. braced for Iran to respond to the killing of its most powerful general, noting heightened military readiness in the country and preparing for a possible 'tit-for-tat' attempt on the life of an American military commander

The Fighter Wings revealed on Monday that the F-35As have now finally reached full war-fighting capability

The Air Force deployed its F-35A stealth fighter jets to the Middle East for the first time ever last year.

At least six F-35As from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings left the Hill Air Force Base in April 2019 en route to the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.

The Air Force said at the time that the fighters would be participating in coalition air operations targeting ISIS militants.

While they were the first U.S. Air Force-operated F35As to enter to Middle East, they weren't new to the region with Israel already operating 12 of the jets.

The model is billed as the most advanced military aircraft ever sent into the skies.

The Air Force has previously boasted that the jet 'improves lethality, survivability and adaptability against emerging threats in order to maintain air superiority'.

The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing variant version of the jet, and the first of the three versions to enter full service.

The F-35B, which is capable of vertical take-off and landing, only recently entered service.

Meanwhile the F-35C, which specializes in aircraft carrier operations, has consistently fallen behind in testing.

Some of a group of 52 U.S. Air Force F-35A aircraft from the 388th and 428th Fighter Wings, form up in an "elephant walk" exercise at Hill Air Force Base on Monday

The Air Force has previously boasted that the jet 'improves lethality, survivability and adaptability against emerging threats in order to maintain air superiority'

A U.S. Air Force pilot adjusts his mask as he taxies his Air Force F-35A aircraft from the 388th and 428th Fighter Wings, to form up in an "elephant walk" exercise at Hill Air Force Base

The 419th Fighter Wings tweeted after the exercise 'We're ready to fly, fight, and win' after revealing the fleet had reached full war-fighting capability

The F-35 is the first to combine radar-evading stealth technology with supersonic speeds and the ability to conduct short take-offs and vertical landings.

It has the ability to operate from land and sea and has previously been hailed as a huge leap forward in aerospace technology.

The Fighter Wings on Monday insisted that the training exercise was not a result of heightened tensions with Iran following the U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force.

Esmail Ghaani, the general who replaced Qassem Soleimani after he was killed, has since vowed to take revenge as part of the fallout over the U.S. strike.

WATCH: 52 F-35s launched in rapid succession from @HAFB today! @388fw & @419fw conducted a combat power exercise part of normal, scheduled training operations and not a response to any current events.



The fighter wings are home to 78 aircraft.



Via @Fox13 pic.twitter.com/fHFlGTyp05 — 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐞 (@brian_schnee) January 6, 2020

'God the almighty has promised to get his revenge, and God is the main avenger. Certainly actions will be taken,' he said on Monday in an interview with Iranian state television.

Soleimani's daughter, Zeinab, also directly threatened an attack on the U.S. military in the Mideast while speaking to a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Tehran that stretched as far as the eye could see.

'The families of U.S. soldiers in the Middle East will spend their days waiting for death of their children,' she said to cheers.

It comes as Iran abandoned the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in response to the slaying. Separately, Iraq's parliament has called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil.

Adding to the tensions, President Donald Trump threatened to demand billions of dollars in compensation from Iraq or impose 'sanctions like they've never seen before' if it goes through with expelling U.S. troops.

A U.S. Air Force pilot takes off in his Air Force F-35A aircraft from the 388th and 428th Fighter Wings to participate in the combat power exercise

The Air Force has previously boasted that the jet 'improves lethality, survivability and adaptability against emerging threats in order to maintain air superiority'

A U.S. Air Force pilot takes off in his Air Force F-35A aircraft at the Hill Air Force Base in Utah on Monday

The model is billed as the most advanced military aircraft ever sent into the skies