Update II:
If you missed it, here are the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flying in formation over Super Bowl 50
The Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover during the opening ceremony of Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. while the Joint Armed Forces Choir performs and the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard presented the Colors. Army Photo by Spc. Brandon C. Dyer
Update I:
Perhaps the title of this piece should have been, “Super Bowl 50: Enjoy the Game, Thanks to DHS, DOD, GPS…and Northrop Grumman.”
It is widely reported that Northrop Grumman may be ready to show off its “sixth generation fighter” in a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl.
Watch a Northrop Grumman commercial below “touting” the achievements “of a plane whose fielding is likely decades away.”
[The release of this video] follows on the heels of Northrop Grumman airing what is believed to be the first Super Bowl ad ever produced for a defense contractor last February. In that game, the company focused on its entry in the Air Force’s Long Range Strike Bomber competition, which went on to win the $60-billion contract in October.
Keep your eyes open.
Original post:
In contrast to previous Super Bowls, military sources have been quite discrete this year about security measures taken and to be taken before and during Super Bowl L — make that “50” — as it should be.
The Department of Homeland Security has issued a list of very general Super Bowl 50 Security Operations.
Here is an overview:
“Dozens of federal agencies and components, including multiple components of the Department of Homeland Security, are contributing to security measures seen and unseen in connection with the Super Bowl,” said Secretary Johnson. “Within the Department of Homeland Security itself, TSA, CBP, ICE, Coast Guard, the Secret Service, FEMA, our Office of Intelligence and Analysis, and our National Protection and Programs Directorate are contributing to the security of this event. The public has a role to play too. “If You See Something, Say SomethingTM” is more than a slogan. Public vigilance and public awareness contributes to a safe and secure event.”
The secretary of Homeland Security says that many measures will not be seen by the public — as it should be.
What is publicly known about military or military-supported preparations?
• A no-fly zone will extend from San Jose, Calif., to near San Francisco International Airport, starting an hour before the game and continuing until midnight. The temporary flight restriction does not apply to commercial flights controlled by air traffic control.(N.Y. Times)
• Drones have been banned from flying within 32 miles of the Super Bowl stadium in Santa Clara, California, between 14:00 and 23:59 PST on 7 February.(BBC)
• The U.S. Coast Guard will provide maritime security and interagency support ahead of and during the Super Bowl. This includes increased patrol operations, deployment of Pacific Strike Team, ferry security operations and cruise ship security operations. Coast Guard MH-65 and Air National Guard HH-60 helicopters will be hovering around, while F-15 fighter jets will be on standby.(Foxtrotalpha)
• The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) will have personnel from the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team on-site monitoring, coordinating, and reporting activities from the Super Bowl 50 Operations Center with regards to cyber or communications threats or incidents…
Not kept under wraps, however, is the ceremonial support the military will provide to Super Bowl 50:
• The Navy’s Blue Angels will provide a six-aircraft F/A-18 Hornet flyover at the end of the national anthem.
• The Armed Forces Color Guard from the Military District of Washington will present the national colors, flanked by drummers from the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”
• A joint chorus made up of 50 service members representing the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard and from the premier military bands in the nation’s capital will sing “America the Beautiful.”
And oh, by the way, the organization that developed the Global Positioning System (GPS) does have some bragging rights related to Super Bowl 50.
The Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, Calif., “will play a silent, but important role in professional football’s biggest showcase.”
As we all know, the GPS using a constellation of 31 satellites provides “precise positioning, navigation and timing services worldwide as a free service provided by the Air Force, seven days a week, 24-hours a day.”
But what does all this have to do with Super Bowl 50, you ask.
Well, the Space and Missile Center says, “Football players with the Carolina Panthers and other NFL teams have started using GPS technology for tracking players’ performance and health…”
During Super Bowl 50, GPS devices will be used extensively to track and monitor the location of team members and officials. GPS is used to ensure event organizers and security know the exact location of team vehicles en route to Levi’s stadium…
Football fans will rely on GPS to get them around Super Bowl 50 venues, the most spread out in history
Built exclusively for Super Bowl 50 and available on most smartphones, the ROAD TO 50 app showcases all of the Super Bowl celebrations around the San Francisco Bay Area, again by using GPS technology.
This article lists several other GPS applications we all take for granted now, and some new ones, all made possible by those 31 satellites and by some very smart people and technology.
Enjoy the Game!
Lead Photo: Secretary Johnson looks out over Levi’s Stadium, where security preparations are ongoing for Super Bowl 50. (DHS Photo/Jetta Disco)
