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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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The F-22 Raptor, one of the most feared fighter jet in the world, will not be flying over the Super Bowl LX on Sunday, according to a planner for the military aircraft flyover.
Katie Spencer, the sports outreach program manager for the Department of the Air Force, said that while the initial plans for the events included showcasing a pair of two F-22s, the fighter jets were pulled for “some operational assignments.”
Why It Matters
The final game of this year’s National Football League (NFL) season will be played on Sunday in Santa Clara, California, and will see the New England Patriots face off against the Seattle Seahawks. The Patriots are hoping to make history with a record seventh victory, though the Seahawks are currently narrow favorites.
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This is also an important year for the traditional military aircraft flyover, as it is set to celebrate America's 250th anniversary and represent air power. The predicted absence of the F-22 Raptor, considered to be the best air combat fighter ever made, would be significant.
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What To Know
Spencer did not specify what the “operational assignments” involving the pair of F-22s that were expected to flyover Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday.
But the fighter jets have recently been involved in important operations, including Operation Midnight Hammer in June, when they took part in a B-2 Spirit bomber-led strike campaign targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.
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The revised plan for the military aircraft flyover now includes Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers, F-15C Eagle fighters, Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, and F-35C Lightning fighters, according to Military Times.
The B-1, also known as “the Bone,” is set to be leading the flyover. “We wanted a unique display of air power,” Spencer told Military Times on Friday. “Our bombers are beloved by everybody, and they really replicate what it means to be time over target at a certain point. So it was a no-brainer to have bombers in this formation.”
She added: “While we have a lot of aircraft in our inventory, we thought that this would be the coolest formation,” Spencer said. “And the loudest.”
The flyover serves more than a symbolic role. According to Spencer, the show doubles as a training exercise for aircrews, without spending additional taxpayers’ money.
“These flyovers serve as time-over-target training for our crews,” she said. “They serve as recovery efforts with our maintainers. And so the reason that we are so proficient at operations like Midnight Hammer and other things that you’ll see is because we can replicate those real world scenarios with this type of flying.”
What People Are Saying
Katie Spencer told Military Times this week: “We wanted fifth-generation aircraft from the Air Force and fifth-generation aircraft from the Navy. But as things happen in our military, you know, operational tempo has increased, and so the F-22s got pulled for some operational assignments.”
What Happens Next
The Super Bowl LX is set to start at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 8. Nearly 70,000 fans are expected to attend the event in California, while millions will be following it on TV.
Spencer said that “fans are really going to see something special” with this year’s military aircraft flyover. “And they’re going to hear something special,” she said. “They’re going to feel the sound of freedom in the pits of their soul when this formation flies over.”
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