Pilot says he felt like it was Superbowl day

One of the American pilots who took part in the raids on Afghanistan said that he felt like "a football player on Superbowl day."

Five crew members were made available for interview by the Department of Defence after the overnight attacks.

The pilots did not reveal any detailed information and were only identified by their radio call signs.

One officer, 'Vinny', said: "I felt very proud, it's like being a football player on Superbowl day. My grandfather was in World War II, my dad was in Vietnam, and I'm just honored to participate in something like this." he added that they had faced more challenging tests during normal training.

'Doc,' a radar operator on a B-52 bomber, said: "We were well briefed by the people who put the package together for us." "We went out and did what we were supposed to."

A lead pilot added that while the planes had encountered some anti-aircraft fire, they had not felt at risk from the Afghan air defences.