Suryakirans to mark 1971 war victory with aerial salute across India
On February 17, the 52 Squadron nicknamed 'The Sharks' will embark on an aerial salute to all those who were a part of the 1971 war in the highest traditions of the armed forces and put service before self to make India the nation that it is today.
Fifty years ago, a nation was born from the ashes of war. The liberation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) came after the India armed forces crushed the Pakistani aggression and bruised their ego in a manner they would never forget.
Tales of valour of the Indian armed forces galore in the annals of history.
To commemorate the Golden Jubilee year of the historic 1971 war, the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team of the Indian Air Force will fly in different formations over various landmarks and will also etch '71' over Kanyakumari.
On February 17, the 52 Squadron nicknamed 'The Sharks' will embark on an aerial salute to all those who were a part of the 1971 war in the highest traditions of the armed forces and put service before self to make India the nation that it is today.
Here's the route that the Suryakiran Team will take:
February 17
Coimbatore - Madurai - Ramnad - Tuticorin - Kanyakumari - Kodaikanal - Coimbatore
February 18
Coimbatore - Mysore - Kozhikode- Cochin- Trivandrum- Coimbatore
February 23
Coimbatore - Tiruchirapalli- Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram - Kovalam - Chennai- Tambaram- Coimbatore
After covering the southern Indian states, the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team will return to their base in northern Karnataka. Later this year, the Squadron will cover other parts of the country in a phased manner.
The Suryakiran Aerobatic Team has 13 pilots led by Group Captain Anoop Singh.
Members of the team are fighter pilots and qualified flying instructors of the IAF who have been handpicked to be a part of this prestigious team. Since its inception in 1996, the Suryakiran team has carried out over 600 displays all over the country and represented India in various countries in South East Asia, including China.