Suryakiran Team Makes Meerut Debut With Two-Day Air Show

The Indian Air Force's Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) performed over Meerut for the first time on September 19 and 20, 2026, drawing more than one lakh spectators across the two days. The audience included students, National Cadet Corps cadets and National Service Scheme volunteers. Three members of the team, among them two pilots who flew in the display, are from Meerut.

Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth attended the show on September 20. In a post on X, he described the event as a remarkable blend of discipline, precision, teamwork and professionalism, and a testament to the Indian Air Force's capabilities. He also commended the courage and dedication of the team, noting that it has performed in more than 800 air shows in India and abroad over its 30-year journey.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, posting on X on the opening day, praised the pilots' precision and courage, saying they had painted the sky in the colours of the Tricolour. He called the display, held under the "Seva Sankalp Abhiyan", a proud and inspiring moment for the state and the country.

Among the other dignitaries who watched the display were Rajya Sabha MP Dr Laxmikant Bajpai, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Somendra Tomar, and Members of the Legislative Council Ashwini Tyagi and Dharmendra Bhardwaj.

Fresh from the conclusion of its 2026 training season, the team flew nine red-and-white Hawk Mk 132 aircraft, licence-manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The display featured manoeuvres including the loop, barrel roll, inverted flying and the DNA formation. The aircraft fly in extremely close proximity, at times less than five metres apart.

The Hawk Mk 132s used in the show carry an indigenous modification integrating smoke pods that produce coloured smoke. Developed at the Indian Air Force's Base Repair Depot in Nashik, the system allows the aircraft to paint the sky in saffron, white and green.

Established in 1996, SKAT is the only nine-aircraft aerobatic team in Asia and among a small group of such teams worldwide. It has performed more than 800 displays in India and at international air shows in China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, the UAE and Dubai. The team is regarded as an ambassador of the Indian Air Force, showcasing its professionalism while encouraging young people to consider a career in the defence forces.