F-22 Raptors Pulled From Super Bowl LX Flyover For Operational Assignments
Air Force confirms F-22 Raptors were reassigned from Super Bowl LX flyover due to increased operational tempo, replaced by F-15Cs, officials said.
Overview
Air Force Sports Outreach Program manager Katie Spencer confirmed that two F-22 Raptor fighters originally planned for the Super Bowl LX flyover were reassigned to operational missions because "operational tempo has increased," officials confirmed.
The change leaves the formation at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 11 to include B-1 Lancer bombers, F-15C Eagles from Fresno Air National Guard Base, Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning II jets, according to Department of the Air Force planning documents.
The inclusion of an F-22 silhouette on a commemorative flight suit patch reflects earlier planning and not a last-minute mistake, Katie Spencer said in an interview with Military Times, a detail that has drawn scrutiny from observers.
Officials declined to disclose the specific operational assignments for the Raptors, and accounts are disputed by those who speculate the move is linked to recent U.S. strikes in the Middle East, according to analysts and public statements.
Planners said the flyover serves as scheduled training and requires no additional taxpayer funding, and they tapped F-15s from the Fresno ANG late in planning to preserve the intended formation and symbolism for the nation's 250th anniversary events.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this as a logistical update and patriotic spectacle, emphasizing official explanations and celebratory details while omitting critical viewpoints. They foreground service spokespersons’ justifications and vivid showmanship (e.g., the patch anomaly, formation choices, “sound of freedom”) and contextualize the F-22s’ absence by citing recent operations to normalize the decision.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The revised flyover includes two B-1 Lancer bombers, two F-15C Eagles from Fresno Air National Guard Base, two F/A-18 Super Hornets, and two F-35C Lightning II jets.
The F-22 Raptors were reassigned due to increased operational tempo and unspecified operational assignments, as confirmed by Air Force Sports Outreach Program manager Katie Spencer.
F-22s played a key role in Operation Midnight Hammer, a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, and supported strikes on ISIS sites in Syria during Operation Hawkeye Strike in January and early February.
No, the flyover serves as scheduled training for aircrews and maintainers, replicating real-world scenarios without needing extra funding.
The F-22 silhouette on the patch reflects the original planning and is not a mistake, despite the last-minute reassignment.
History
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