The Super Bowl flyover is designed to be a perfectly timed, patriotic curtain-raiser, not a source of last minute drama. Yet in the days leading up to Super Bowl LX at Levi Stadium, the U.S. Air Force quietly reassigned two F-22 Raptors that had been advertised as part of the formation. Officials now confirm the change was driven by operational demands, not a planning error, underscoring how even the NFL’s biggest stage yields to real-world missions.
The abrupt switch has sparked questions among aviation fans and casual viewers alike, especially because the F-22 was featured prominently on commemorative materials. I see the episode as a revealing case study in how the military balances public spectacle, training value and global contingencies, all while trying to keep the focus on the game rather than the jets overhead.
The missing Raptors and what officials are actually saying
From the outside, the absence of the F-22s looked like a mistake, but planners insist it was a deliberate call rooted in operational priorities. According to a flyover organizer identified as Katie Spencer, the decision to pull the Raptors was not a last minute scramble but an example of how real-world tasking can override even the most high profile events, with According used to describe how she framed the tradeoff. In her telling, the aircraft were needed elsewhere, and the service was prepared to adjust the lineup rather than compromise on mission readiness.
The change was especially striking because the F-22 had been baked into the branding of the event. Look closely at the commemorative flight suit patch for Super Bowl LX and you can see the Raptor silhouette alongside other aircraft, a detail that now reads like a snapshot of a plan overtaken by events, with one report urging fans to Look at that patch to spot the anomaly. The official explanation is that the jets were reassigned, not grounded, which aligns with the broader pattern of the F-22 fleet being treated as a scarce, high demand asset rather than a guaranteed stadium flyover presence.
Operational missions and the shadow of global crises
Behind the bland phrase “operational needs” lies a more concrete picture of what the Raptors may be doing instead of roaring over Levi Stadium. Reporting indicates that Air Force planners removed a pair of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from the Super Bowl formation so they could support missions tied to Operation Hawkeye Strike, with one account noting that the shift was linked to tasking in February in Operation Hawkeye Strike. In that context, the jets are not a ceremonial flourish but part of a force package that commanders want available for real world contingencies.
Another description of the change emphasizes that Air Force planners had already slotted the Raptors into the Super Bowl lineup before deciding that the same F-22 Raptor aircraft were better used on operational sorties, a shift that highlights how even marquee events are subordinate to combatant command requirements, as Air Force planners reassessed their priorities. Separate reporting notes that while it is unclear if the Raptors are being positioned for a possible American attack on Iran, this type of aircraft has previously taken part in the United States Oper campaign on Iranian nuclear facilities, a reminder that the same jets fans expected to see over Santa Clara are often tied to sensitive missions, as one analysis put it, While the exact tasking remains classified.
Training value, not just spectacle, in Super Bowl flyovers
Even when every aircraft shows up as advertised, the military treats Super Bowl flyovers as more than a patriotic cameo. Katie Spencer has stressed that these events are structured as “time over target” training runs, giving pilots and crews a chance to practice precise navigation and timing under pressure, with one account quoting her directly that “These flyovers serve as time-over-target training for our crews” and also function as recovery efforts for maintainers, a point captured in a report that highlighted how They help both aircrew and ground teams. From that perspective, the flyover is a live training sortie that happens to pass over a stadium packed with cameras.
The broader formation for Super Bowl LX reflects that dual purpose. The United States Air Force and United States Navy are conducting a joint flyover in Santa Clara, California, with aircraft from both services synchronized to the national anthem, a setup that one aviation analysis described as a coordinated display by Air Force and aircraft. Earlier planning documents described the flyover as passing over Levi Stadium in a way that dovetails with the 2025 Marine Aviation plan, underscoring how even a Super Bowl moment is woven into longer term training and readiness cycles, as one preview of the event put it when describing the route over Inside The Historic.
Local bases, individual pilots and the revised lineup
The flyover is also a showcase for the units and bases that support it, particularly around the Bay Area. Home to the California Air National Guard, the 129th Rescue Wing and other units, Moffett Air National Guard Base sits just five miles from Levi Stadium and has been highlighted as a key staging point for Super Bowl LX aviation activities, with one official description noting that it is Home to the California Air National Guard and its 129th Rescue Wing and close to Levi Stadium. That proximity makes it a natural hub for aircraft and crews cycling in and out of the Super Bowl mission profile.
Individual pilots are also stepping into the spotlight. One example is MILTON, Fla native Lt. Caleb Champion of the U.S. Navy, who is slated to take part in the unified flyover during the Super Bowl national anthem, a role that underscores how the event blends local pride with national exposure, as a profile of Caleb Champion of Navy made clear. At the same time, officials in Santa Clara have confirmed that the Super Bowl LX Flyover will feature a revised aircraft lineup after the F-22s were reassigned, inviting fans to track story updates as the formation shifted, with one local briefing describing the Super Bowl LX Flyover as set to Feature Revised Aircraft while still hitting its timing marks.
Public reaction, social media buzz and what the change signals
The absence of the Raptors has not gone unnoticed by fans and commentators, particularly those who follow military aviation closely. One widely shared bulletin highlighted that Two F-22 Raptor stealth jets were removed from the Super Bowl LX flyover due to unspecified “operational assignments,” a phrasing that left room for speculation even as officials stuck to their script, with the change described in a news update that flagged how Two Raptors were dropped from the Super Bowl LX plan. Another explainer framed the story under the banner “No F-22s at the Super Bowl,” noting that two F-22 Raptor stealth jets originally slated for the Super Bowl LX formation were instead redirected, and that the TOI World Desk and TIMESOFINDIA, COM coverage emphasized the operational nature of the reassignment and listed the other aircraft involved in the mission, including a reference to the precise time stamp of 46 in the story metadata, as captured in a breakdown by TOI World Desk.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
