B-1B bombers and F-35 fighter jets to headline Super Bowl LX military flyover
January 22, 2026
The Air Force and Navy will jointly fly over the Super Bowl LX with bombers and fighter jets to mark the US’s 250th anniversary and represent the role of the US military in defending the country.
Air Force and Navy 250th anniversary Super Bowl flyover
The US Air Force has announced that to commemorate America’s 250th birthday at the 2026 Super Bowl, it will be conducting a joint flyover with the US Navy during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The flyover will happen on the 8th of February and will be a “symbol of the nation’s journey and independence.”
The Air Force says that while only aircraft from the Air Force and Navy will be present, it will symbolize the entire US military, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. It will show their joint efforts to defend the US over its 250 years of history.
A Military District of Washington Joint Armed Forces Color Guard will also render military honours during the national anthem. It will feature members from all six uniformed service branches.
The Air Force and Navy will also display aircraft, conduct search and rescue demonstrations, and backseat flights in Super Hornets as part of outreach programmes in the run-up to Super Bowl LX.
The aircraft in the Super Bowl flyover
The US Air Force aircraft will include two Rockwell B-1B Lancer variable geometry strategic bombers and two F-15C Eagle fighter jets. The Lancers are from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, and the Eagles are from the Fresno Air National Guard Base in California.
The US Navy contribution will consist of a pair of F/A/18 Super Hornets and two F-35C Lightning II fighter jets from California’s Naval Air Station Lemoore. The F-35C is the carrier-based variant of the F-35 family.
Recently, the US Air Force was able to do its annual flyover of the Rose Bowl Game at halftime after rain prevented it from flying over the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl pregame.
The F-15C and B-1B are impressive, but aging aircraft. The F-15C is being phased out by new F-15EXs and F-35As, while the B-1B is expected to retire in the early 2030s as the B-21 enters service in numbers.
Meanwhile in Brunswick!
— Blue Angels (@BlueAngels) May 17, 2025
Today is #Day1 of the @goldenairshow we can’t wait to see you here! #Brunswick #AmericasNavy250 #Navy #MarineCorps pic.twitter.com/lDTBbe23iR
The Super Hornet is the backbone of US Navy tactical aviation is used by The Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. The F-35C is the newest fighter jet in US Air Force service and is to partially replace older F/A/18s.
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
The US celebrates 250 years
The year 2026 marks 250 years since the US Declaration of Independance on the 4th of July 1776.
The US Army celebrated its 250th anniversary with the Birthday of the U.S. Army Grand Military Parade and Celebration on the 14th of June 2025. The US Army traces its origin to the formation Continental Army and is one year older than the US by this reckoning of dates.
The US Navy also traces its orgin before the independence of the US to the 13th of October 1775. The Coast Guard was estiblished later in 1790, the Air Force in 1947, and the Space Force in 2019.
The Air Force says, “At one of the most-watched events in the world, the flyover at Super Bowl LX is a visible reminder that America’s military remains united, ready, and dominant — 250 years strong.”
Featured Image: US Department of War
