They're only inches apart in reality, so the telephoto lens makes it look like they're right on top of each other. Even student pilots are trained to fly fingertip formation just a couple of feet apart.
Because military people are familiar with military contingency planning and military strategy. They understand that military plans are designed to be executed in phases, with each new phase being based on the completion of the previous phase's objectives. They also understand that military plans are deliberately designed to overwhelm the enemy with massive, coordinated firepower, applied simultaneously across a wide range of enemy centers of gravity. This approach inflicts a structural paralysis (think Iraq's ineffectual response in the Gulf War) and just as important, the shock and awe of the sudden and overwhelming application of force is deliberately designed to exploit human anxiety and compel capitulation. Above all, modern military plans depend on timing–NOTHING happens until ALL elements are place, and then the plan is executed as quickly as possible, with overwhelming force and fury
Executing attacks piecemeal is useless (Rolling Thunder in Vietnam)
Firing early may feel good, but fucks up the plan
Moving to a new phase before the previous phase's objectives are met may feel good, but fucks up the plan