USAF’s Freedom Formation flies over Miami for Memorial Day Weekend show
May 27, 2025
The Freedom Formation consisted of seven aircraft drawn from Global Strike Command and Air Combat Command. A Northrop B-2A Spirit was flanked by a Rockwell B-1B Lancer, and a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, with a Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II and a Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon off the B-52’s starboard wing and a Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor and Boeing F-15C Eagle off the port wing of the B-1B. The formation was intended to demonstrate the comprehensive reach of the US Air Force, which is provided by everything from legacy bombers to cutting-edge fifth-generation fighters. The USAF said that: “The Freedom Formation underscored the Air Force’s capability to project force anywhere, anytime, as a key component of national defense.”
There were also individual displays by an F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15 Eagle, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-22 Raptor and an F-35 Lightning II, and precision parachute jumps were performed by five distinct groups of parachutists, including the US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, the Army Black Daggers, the Navy Leap Frogs, the USAF Pararescue and the British Army’s Red Devils.
The 920th Rescue Wing sent an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to simulate a helicopter air-to-air refuelling, and the Pave Hawks then gave a sparkling display.
