Aero India 2021

[Adam]

Some interesting aerial performances coming up, for sure. Current highlights include:

• 41-aircraft opening flyby, due to feature the Su-30MKI, Tejas, Rafale, C-17, An-32, C-47, Jaguar, Hawk, Mi-17 & more

• Aero India flying display debuts of the Chinook, Apache & Rafale in IAF hands (not clear if this is in the opening flyby, as solo displays, or both)

• First ever combined display of the Surya Kiran and Sarang aerobatic teams, featuring nine Hawks and four Dhruvs. Also Surya Kiran's first Aero India display with smoke since 2011

• Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.'s "Aatmanirbhar" display, fearturing the i-Hawk, Tejas, HTT-40 and Do228

• IAF Vintage Squadron's C-47

• USAF B-1B Lancer flyby

Some photos of today's and yesterday's rehearsals from social media:

Here's a first look at SKAT and Sarang's combined display. It does seem to be a proper, 13-ship synchronised performance, not just an attempt to briefly put both teams in a similar bit of sky.


SKAT with smoke!!


Presumably part of the opening flyby. They'll be joined by a second Hawk for the real thing.


Three Su-30s practicing for the opening flyby.


Had travel restrictions allowed, Aero India would have been the first show of the 2021 series of Airshow Dispatches. Ah well...

[Adam]

More from today. Firstly, details are out of that opening ceremony flyby, all doing a stright-and-level flyby unless specified:

1. x3 Mi-17, carrying flags
2. x1 Light Utility Helicopter and x2 Dhruv
3. x3 Light Combat Helicopter
4. x4 Dhruv Mk.4
5. x1 Tejas, x1 i-Hawk, x2 HTT-40, x1 HJT-36 Sitara, x1 Do228
6. x1 Embraer E154
7. x1 C-17, x2 Su-30MKI
8. x3 Tejas
9. x3 Rafale
10. x1 Su-30MKI, x2 Jaguar, x2 Hawk Mk.132
11. x3 Su-30MKI, bomb burst
12. Surya Kiran (x9 Hawk Mk.132) and Sarang (x4 Dhruv) combined aerobatics

It seems, based on the above, that the Apache and Chinook will be doing full solo displays. Not clear if the SKAT/Sarang combined show and the HAL Aatmanirbhar formation (element 5 in the above) are for the opening ceremony only, or if they will also feature during the main flying displays. But the big and unexpected headline is that there's another Aero India flying display debut to chalk up: the newly-modified and hopefully less crash-prone version of the deeply-troubled HJT-36 Sitara, still yet to get any orders.

On to images, and today we've got the first decent shots of all 13 SKAT and Sarang aircraft together. It's being claimed as the first intergrated aerobatic display of fixed-wing and rotary platforms (obviously not true, but in all fairness I can't think of any other example of two big FW and RW teams like these have joined forces).


The IAF Historic Squadron at work


Su-30MKI solo display practice


A first look at the TEDBF, a proposed carrier-based fighter being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics for the Indian Navy. It's loosely based on the Tejas, will replace the MiG-29 and is hoped to be flying by the middle of the decade.

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https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/ ... 37.article

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https://www.key.aero/article/aero-india ... a-contract

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https://www.cnbctv18.com/photos/india/a ... 194401.htm