Whether you're planning to watch the Super Bowl because you're a Chiefs fan, a Niners fan, a football fan in general — or just because you want to see the commercials, J.Lo and Shakira — an estimated 100 million people will tune in to watch the big game Feb. 2.
About 65,000 of the most devout fans will be in the seats at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium to watch the matchup live. Even more will be a stone's throw from the stadium to watch from the periphery.
Any event of that magnitude can be seen by our enemies as a high-value target, so the men and women of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, will have their eyes not on the field, but above it.
For nearly two decades, NORAD has watched the airspace above the Super Bowl. This year, F-15 fighter jets will be enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration's temporary 30-mile no-fly zone above the stadium before and during the game — meaning they'll be in charge of removing any aircraft in the airspace without proper authorization.
It's a collaborative mission with the FAA, Customs and Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security, and preparation for it is year-round.
For 60 years, NORAD has identified and intercepted potential air threats to North America, so it makes sense the command's airmen protect the skies above one of America's biggest sporting nights!