Page 321 - SSB Interview: The Complete Guide, Second Edition

Display Teams

115. Surya Kiran (Sanskrit for sunrays) is an aerobatics demonstration team
of the Indian Air Force. The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was

formed in 1996 and are successors to the Thunderbolts. The team has a
total of 13 pilots (selected from the fighter stream of the IAF) and

operate 9 HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk II trainer aircraft painted in a day-

glow orange and white colour scheme. The Surya Kiran team was
conferred squadron status in 2006, and presently has the designation of

52 Squadron, Air Force (‘The Sharks’). The Surya Kiran Aerobatic

Team is based at the Indian Air Force Station at Bidar. The HJT-16
Kiran is to be replaced by the HAL HJT-36 Sitara. The IAF has already

given an order for 12 Limited Series Production aircraft for the Surya

Kiran team. Meanwhile, the IAF has begun the process of converting
Surya Kirans to BAE Hawks. It will take 2–3 years for the team to

completely shift to Hawks.

116. Sarang is the Helicopter Display Team of the Indian Air Force. The
name Sarang (Sanskrit for Peacock) is symbolic as it is the national bird

of India. The team was formed in October 2003 and their first public

performance was at the Asian Aerospace Show, Singapore, 2004. The
team flies four HAL Dhruvs painted in red and white with a peacock

figure on each side of the fuselage. The Sarang display team is based at

the Indian Air Force base at Air Force Station, Sulur, Coimbatore.
Aircraft in the Indian Air Force

117. The Indian Air Force has aircraft and equipment of Russian (erstwhile
Soviet Union), British, French, Israeli, US and Indian origins with

Russian aircraft dominating its inventory. HAL produces some of the
Russian and British aircraft in India under license.

118. Fighter and Multi-role Combat Aircraft: The primary role of the

fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force inventory is to achieve and

maintain air supremacy over the battlefield. Air superiority fighters are