Surya Kiran Explained

Unit Name:Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT)
Dates:27 May 1996 – 30 June 2011
15 February 2015-present
Branch:Indian Air Force
Role:Aerobatic display
Command Structure:No. 52 Squadron, IAF
Garrison:Bidar Air Force Station
Nickname:The Sharks
Motto:सदैव सर्वोत्तम - Sadaiva Sarvōttama
(Sanskrit: "Always the Best")[1]
Colors:day-glo orange and white
Decorations:Chief of Air Staff Unit Citation
Commander1:Group Captain Gurpreet Singh Dhillon

Surya Kiran is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force. The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 and is a part of the No. 52 Squadron of the Indian Air Force. The team is based at Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka and has performed numerous demonstrations. The squadron was initially composed of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft. The team was suspended in February 2011 and was re-established with BAE Hawk Mk.132 aircraft in 2015.

History

In the late 1940s, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had a display flight squadron which carried out aerobatic displays on special occasions. The team flew Hawker Hunter aircraft and was led by Marshal Arjan Singh. The team led a flypast of more than hundred aircraft on the occasion of India's Independence day in 1947.[2] During the golden jubilee year of the Indian Air Force in 1982, select fighter pilots from various squadrons were assigned to the No. 20 Squadron (Lightnings) to form an aerobatic team called The Thunderbolts. Flying nine blue and white colored Hunter aircraft, the team performed aerobatic displays till 1989.[3]

The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 and was based at Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka.[4] The team and was initially composed of HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft.[5] The team was formed under Wing Commander Kuldeep Malik who had been a member of the Thunderbolts on the eve of Aero India 1996, the first aerospace defense exhibition.[6] The team initially flew four aircraft before moving to six aircraft formation in May 1996.[7] The Surya Kiran team performed their first public display for the golden jubilee celebrations of Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore on 15 September 1996.[7]

In 1998, under the command of Wing Commander A. K. Murgai, the team expanded to a nine-aircraft formation which was displayed in public for the first time during the Independence Day celebrations in Red Fort.[7] The team became the first Air Force unit to be awarded the Chief of Air Staff Unit Citation, which it received on 8 October 2004. Effective 1 May 2006, the team was accorded a separate squadron, becoming the No. 52 Squadron of the Indian Air Force nicknamed the Sharks.[7] After Aero India 2011, the Surya Kiran team was grounded because the Air Force faced a shortage of Kiran training aircraft. In February 2015, the Surya Kiran team was re-formed with the induction of the British BAe Hawk trainer aircraft under the command of then Wing Commander Ajit Kulkarni.[7]

Aircraft and organization

The Surya Kiran team operated HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft from 1996 to 2011. In October 2015, an agreement was signed for the purchase of twenty BAE Systems Hawk Mk.132 aircraft fitted with smoke canisters dedicated to the aerobatics display role.[8] The team has been utilizing the Hawk aircraft since 2015.[7] The aircraft are painted in bright "day-glo" orange and white colour scheme.[9] The inboard drop tanks of the aircraft are modified to carry color dye mixed with diesel fuel for generating colored smoke.[10]

The team has 13 pilots on roster of which nine fly at any given time. The pilots undergo a selection process twice a year and are chosen to serve for a three-year period.[11] Besides the pilots, the team has a Flight Commander, an administrator and technical officers tasked with the maintenance and servicing of the aircraft.

Commanders

Commanders of the Surya Kiran Acrobatic Team
Name with RankStartEndDesignationReference
Wing Commander Kuldeep Malik1 June 199630 March 1997Team Leader
Wing Commander Anil Kumar Murgai31 March 199730 May 1999Team Leader
Wing Commander Amit Tiwari31 May 199929 November 2001Team Leader
30 November 200130 May 2002Commanding Officer
Wing Commander Sreekumar Prabhakaran31 May 200230 June 2005Commanding Officer
Wing Commander Sandeep Bansal1 July 200530 March 2008Commanding Officer
Wing Commander Joy Thomas Kurien31 March 200830 June 2010Commanding Officer
Wing Commander Ajit Kulkarni15 February 20152018Commanding Officer
Group Captain Prashant Grover201819 July 2020Commanding Officer[12]
Group Captain Anoop Singh20 July 20202 August 2022Commanding Officer
Group Captain G S Dhillon 3 August 2022PresentCommanding Officer[13]

Performance

On an average, the team performs about 30 shows a year, and flies three sorties a day during the training season and two a day whilst on aerobatics display.[11] The modified planes use aerosols to create various flight designs and patterns.[14] The aircraft fly at speeds ranging from to and can reach speeds of up to while performing manoeuvres.[15] [11] The maneuvers subject the pilots to alternating g-forces between +6 and –1.5.[11]

The Surya Kiran team performed their first public display with six aircraft for the golden jubilee celebrations of Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore on 15 September 1996.[7] In August 1998, the nine-aircraft formation was displayed in public for the first time during the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi.[7] The team gave its first performance abroad during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lankan Air Force in March 2001.[16] The team has performed over 500 displays in more than 72 cities across India. The team has performed at an altitude of in Srinagar and over the seas which is challenging due to the water affecting depth perception.[11]

The team has also performed in various countries like China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and Singapore.[11] The team has performed at multiple Aero India shows. In February 2004, the team performed at the Asian Aerospace air show in Singapore. The team performed in Malaysia in December 2007 at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Malaysia's Independence.[17] In December 2007, the team in coordination with the Royal Thai Air Force conducted a nine-aircraft display to commemorate the 80th Birth Anniversary of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand. In November 2008, the team was invited to participate in the Zhuhai Airshow in China and the team displayed in Laos during its return.[18] After resurrection in 2015, the team performed their first performance abroad in March 2021 for the 70th anniversary of the Sri Lankan Air Force, exactly 20 years after the team’s very first foreign tour.[16] On 19 November 2023, the team performed during the ICC Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad.[5]

Incidents

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: No.52 Squadron Sharks. Bharat Rakshak. 2 January 2022. 2 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220102123617/https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Units/52%20Sqn. live.
  2. Web site: Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Padma Vibhushan, DFC. Indian Air Force. 1 December 2023. 2 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231002215645/https://indianairforce.nic.in/marshal-of-the-air-force-arjan-singh-padma-vibhushan-dfc-cas/. live.
  3. Web site: Thunderbolts. Bharat Rakshak. 1 December 2023. 22 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230922093405/https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1970s/the-thunderbolts/. live.
  4. IAF's Surya Kiran team performs. 5 March 2023. 1 December 2023. Government of India.
  5. News: Aero India in Bengaluru: Surya Kiran to shine over today’s final. 19 November 2023. 1 December 2023. New Indian Express. 16 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240316155435/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2023/Nov/19/aero-india-in-bengaluru-surya-kiranto-shine-over-todays-final-2634233.html. live.
  6. Web site: Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team. Bharat Rakshak. 1 December 2023. 17 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240317040343/https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Units/SKAT. live.
  7. News: Suryakiran: Flying formation that dazzles the skies with loops, rolls and dives. 1 December 2023. Tribune. 16 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240316155435/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/suryakiran-flying-formation-that-dazzles-the-skies-with-loops-rolls-and-dives-314685. live.
  8. News: For Surya Kiran aerobatics team, IAF set to purchase 20 Hawks. 26 October 2015. The Indian Express. 1 December 2023. 20 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231120172930/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/for-surya-kiran-aerobatics-team-iaf-set-to-purchase-20-hawks/. live.
  9. Web site: Surya Kiran team. Vayu Aerospace. 1 December 2023. 6 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230606073612/https://www.vayuaerospace.in/Issue/202306021033207222.pdf. live.
  10. News: Surya Kiran aerobatics team set to present 500th display. 13 February 2017. 1 December 2023. The Hindu. 16 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240316164615/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/Surya-Kiran-aerobatics-team-set-to-present-500th-display/article17293068.ece. live.
  11. Web site: In A First, Indian Air Force To Grace The Skies During World Cup Final. NDTV. 1 December 2023. 17 November 2023. 20 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231120160218/https://www.ndtv.com/feature/all-you-need-to-know-about-iafs-surya-kiran-aerobatic-team-set-to-perform-ahead-of-world-cup-finals-4582091. live.
  12. Suryakiran_IAF. 1285212134654177280. Today Group Captain Prashant Grover hands over the baton to Group Captain Anoop Singh VM as the next Leader of the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team .
  13. Suryakiran_IAF. 1554839057980477440. Gp Capt GS Dhillon takes over as Team Leader, Suryakiran Aerobatic Team from Gp Capt Anoop Singh VM..
  14. News: Will the original daredevils be back?. The Hindu. 5 March 2015. 20 February 2015. Desai. Rishikesh Bahadur. 7 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107200744/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/will-the-original-daredevils-be-back/article6915192.ece. live.
  15. News: Surya Kiran’s aerobatics leave spectators spellbound. 23 October 2023. The Times of India. 1 December 2023. 8 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231108212730/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/surya-kirans-aerobatics-leave-spectators-spellbound/articleshow/104638161.cms. live.
  16. News: Air Force Dare Devils to Fly Again After 4 Years. NDTV. 1 December 2023.
  17. News: India's Suryakirans Aerobatic Team To Perform At LIMA 2007. Bernama.com, Malaysian National News Agency. 27 November 2007. 28 November 2007.
  18. News: Celebrations Galore on the Auspicious occasion of His Majesty's 80th Birth Anniversary. Thaindian. 5 December 2007. 5 December 2007. 5 December 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071205185313/http://www.thaindian.com/news-snippet/celebrations-galore-on-the-auspicious-occasion-of-his-majestys-80th-birth-anniversary-4492.html. dead.
  19. News: IAF's Surya Kiran has had its share of accidents. Tribune. 1 December 2023. 16 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240316164615/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/news-detail-731513. live.
  20. News: IAF aircraft crash-lands, pilot jumps out. The Hindu. 23 December 2007. 1 December 2023. 21 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231121152455/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/IAF-aircraft-crash-lands-pilot-jumps-out/article14900115.ece. live.
  21. News: IAF plane crash: Two IAF Surya Kiran aircraft crash during practice at Aero India 2019 in Bangalore, one pilot dead. The Times of India. 19 February 2019. 1 December 2023. 3 December 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231203054700/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/two-aircraft-of-surya-kiran-aerobatics-team-crash-in-bengaluru/articleshow/68059933.cms. live.
  22. Web site: Surya Kiran Aircraft Crash. 19 February 2019. 19 February 2019. Government of India. 20 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190220072833/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=188742. live.