BOEING’S NEXT-GEN TRAINER FOR USAF
The air display commenced with flag bearing sky divers of the famous Akash Ganga Team, who jumped off from an An-32 transport aircraft. In the fly past that followed, Russian origin Mi-17 V5 and indigenous Rudra helicopters (weaponised Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv), the Dornier Do-228 produced by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Lockheed Martin C-130J and the Boeing C-17 transport aircraft participated. From the fighter fleet, the aircraft participating included were the Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft along with the MiG-21 Bison, MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and the SU-30 MKI combat aircraft. The DC-3 Dakota, Tiger Moth and Harvard of the IAF vintage flight, also participated in the flypast.
Thereafter, the indigenously produced Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas carried out aerobatic display to showcase its maneuverability.
During the celebrations, apart from aircraft, the IAF’s Garud commandos equipped with state-of-the-art light weapons, specialist equipment and gear, held the spectators spell bound with their skills.
The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT), consisting of nine Hawk 132 advanced jet trainer aircraft, “performed spectacular nine aircraft horizontal display and daring cross overs. The Helicopter aerobatics team, Sarang, enthralled the audience with breath taking formation aerobatics display.