Sukhoi Su-27s, Su-30SMs, Su-35Ss of Russian Knights perform aerobatic displays near Moscow

Sukhoi Su-27s, Su-30SMs, Su-35Ss of the Russian Knights (Vityazi), an aerobatic team of the country's Aerospace Force carried out breathtaking displays over the skies of  Kubinka, near Moscow on July 3, 2020. The Su-27s, Su-30SMs, Su-35Ss were flying in a single formation for the first time and their pilots mesmerised the audience with some of the most spectacular aerobatic and gravity-defying manoeuvres possible.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian Knights (Vityazi), formed on April 5, 1991, and currently operating the Su-27, Su-30SM, Su-35S fighters performed sharp turns, oblique loops, nose-up manoeuvers and half split-s and other elements in the "bearing" formation. During some of the aerobatic manoeuvres, the Sukhois were less than three metres apart in the air.

The programme came to an end with the Russian Knights (Vityazi) leader Guard Colonel Andrew Alekseev pushing his Sukhoi Su-35S to perform the tail-dive, barrel roll, the low-speed passage and other manoeuvers which demonstrated the supermaneouverability of his multipurpose fighter aircraft.

The Russian Knights (Vityazi) have demonstrated their skills and combat jets in India, Poland, Malaysia, France, England, Austria, Slovakian and even the United States of America. They have flown alongside British aerobatic team Red Arrows and USA's Blue Angles.

Most of the aerobatic displays of the Russian Knights (Vityazi) see 10 aircraft together with the Swifts (Strizhi), another aerobatic team of the Russian Aerospace Force with six Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29/29UB aircraft. The Russian Knights (Vityazi) have eight Sukhois.

All the aeroplanes of the Russian Knights (Vityazi) and Swifts (Strizhi) are painted in white, red and blue colours representing the country's flag. The Swifts (Strizhi) came into existence on May 6, 1991. Pilots of both Russian Knights (Vityazi) and Swifts (Strizhi) are from the 237th Guards Proskurov Aircraft Demonstration Center based in Kubinka Air Base near Moscow.

Russian Air Force fighter aircraft fleet includes the MiG-29, MiG-35, Su-27, Su-30, Su-35 and the 5th Generation Su-57 stealth jet.