F-22 Stealth Jets Withdrawn from Super Bowl Flyover for Operational Missions
The United States Air Force announced on Friday that two F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets originally scheduled to participate in the Super Bowl LX flyover have been removed from the lineup. The decision was attributed to pressing "operational assignments" that required the advanced aircraft elsewhere.
Operational Tempo Forces Last-Minute Changes
Katie Spencer, who coordinates the Department of the Air Force's sports outreach programs and organized the flyover formation, confirmed the development. "We wanted fifth-generation aircraft from the Air Force and fifth-generation aircraft from the Navy," Spencer explained in a Friday interview with The Military Times. "But as things happen in our military, operational tempo has increased, and so the F-22s got pulled for some operational assignments."
The removal of these sophisticated stealth fighters highlights the dynamic nature of military priorities, where real-world operational needs consistently take precedence over ceremonial appearances.
Recent Military Operations Involving Stealth Aircraft
This development comes amid increased global military activity involving US stealth aircraft. According to reports from The National Interest, approximately ten F-22 Raptors, alongside other US fighters including F-35s and F-16s, were recently deployed to the Middle East to support specific operations and provide air dominance if required.
In a notable incident, Iranian aircraft reportedly failed to intercept US military operations, with Iran's air-defense systems unable to detect the stealth aircraft involved in the mission. More recently, during January and early February, a diverse mix of US aircraft conducted precision strikes on ISIS targets in Syria as part of an operation codenamed Hawkeye Strike.
Flyovers Serve Dual Purpose as Military Training
Even for the aircraft that will participate in the Super Bowl flyover, Spencer emphasized that the event serves practical military purposes beyond mere ceremony. As defense officials have noted in previous years, these flyovers function as valuable training exercises that don't require additional taxpayer funding.
"These flyovers serve as time-over-target training for our crews," Spencer detailed. "They serve as recovery efforts with our maintainers. And so the reason that we are so proficient at operations like Midnight Hammer and other missions you'll see is because we can replicate those real-world scenarios with this type of flying."
Revised Super Bowl Flyover Formation
The updated flyover for Super Bowl LX will now feature aircraft representing 250 years of American airpower history. The revised formation scheduled to pass over the stadium includes:
- Two Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota
- Two Air National Guard F-15C Eagles
- A pair of Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets
- Two F-35C Lightning II fighters from Naval Air Station Lemoore in California
"Our Guard members have stepped in to fill that role, and we're super grateful for that," Spencer acknowledged regarding the Air National Guard's participation.
The Super Bowl LX kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, with the modified flyover serving as both a patriotic display and practical military training exercise.
