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Air Force planners have removed a pair of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from Sunday's Super Bowl LX flyover formation, replacing them with F-15 Eagles as military operations took precedence over the ceremonial display.
The last-minute substitution came after operational tempo increased and F-22s were pulled for operational assignments, according to Katie Spencer, the Sports Outreach Program manager for the Department of the Air Force. The change occurred despite commemorative patches for the event already featuring F-22 silhouettes alongside the other aircraft in the formation.
Spencer said planners originally designed the flyover to showcase the most advanced fifth-generation fighters from both the Air Force and Navy, but military needs superseded the ceremonial plans. While she declined to specify which operations required the aircraft, F-22s played a key role in Operation Midnight Hammer in June, when B-2 Spirit bombers struck Iranian nuclear facilities. U.S. aircraft also conducted strikes on ISIS sites in Syria during January and early February in Operation Hawkeye Strike.
F-15C Eagles from Fresno Air National Guard Base in California were tapped late in planning to fill the gap left by the F-22s, joining B-1 Lancer bombers, Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning fighters in the formation over Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
"Our Guard members have stepped in to fill that role, and we're super grateful for that," Spencer said.
The change marks a departure from typical Super Bowl flyover planning, which generally finalizes aircraft selections months in advance. Spencer said the overall flyover required roughly a year of coordination with the National Football League, NBC broadcasters and Federal Aviation Administration.
Spencer emphasized that the flyover represents training time for aircrews rather than an additional expense for taxpayers, a point military officials routinely stress when conducting ceremonial flights.
"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."
The formation featuring B-1 bombers leading F-15s, F/A-18s and F-35Cs represents an unusually large and diverse display. Spencer said planners wanted a unique demonstration of American airpower for the 250th anniversary of the United States, with the B-1—known as "the Bone" among its fans—chosen as an obvious lead aircraft.
"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 open-air venue at Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, made the larger formation possible, unlike domed stadiums that cannot accommodate flyovers. A joint color guard from the Military District of Washington combining members from the Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force will render honors on the ground.
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