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The B-2 flyover has kicked off the parade since 2005.
In place of the B-2 stealth bomber will be a B-1B Lancer bomber based out of Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, according to a Sunday article published by Task and Purpose, an online publication which covers the United States Armed Forces and the defense industry.
The B-2s were grounded earlier this month after a fire following an emergency landing at Whiteman Air Force Base. There are only 20 B-2s in the Air Force’s fleet. No one was injured in the incident.
The incident is currently under investigation. The batwing-shaped B-2 is part of the Air Force’s nuclear weapons fleet.
Because of the high cost of the aircraft which comes in at more than a billion dollars per plane, only 21 were built. One was destroyed in a crash just after takeoff in 2008; another was damaged in a 2010 fire, and a third ran off the runway in a 2021 emergency landing.
“Our number one concern is the safety and security of our personnel and fleet. We deeply regret having to make this decision so close to the event, but we are committed to returning to Pasadena in 2024,” U.S. Air Force Col. Daniel Diehl, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing said in a statement about the B-2 stand down. “Although we are not participating in this flyover, we remain steadfast in our commitment to answer our nation’s call.”
Candy Carlson, Communications Director for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, said the Air Force flyover tradition will continue.
“The Tournament of Roses is honored that the U.S. Air Force will once again soar over the Rose Parade presented by Honda and the Rose Bowl Game, continuing the iconic tradition,” Carlson said in a statement. “We are looking forward to kicking off 2023 with the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB-B-1B Lancer Bomber and turning the corner into a new year.”
According to a statement from Whiteman Air Force Base, “the B-1B Lancer is a critical component of our Air Force’s strategic bomber fleet. Like the B-2, the B-1 has a rich history and will represent Striker nation well, carrying on the bomber tradition at the Tournament of Roses,” the base said in a statement on its website.
Calls to the base’s media section were not answered on Sunday.
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