"With Love, The 9...": Air Force's Legendary Pic Of Aerobatic Team

Surya Kiran, the Indian Air Force's aerobatics team, took to Twitter on Monday to share a picture of an impressive air show featuring its nine Hawk Mk132 aircraft. The picture features a stunning formation showing all the nine red aircraft lined up beautifully in vertical order. The aerial shot also offers a scenic view of the cloudy blue sky, with greenery underneath it. The exact location of the picture is not yet known. 

The team shared the picture on its official Twitter handle and wrote, "Posted without caption. With love, The nine."

See the picture here:

Since being shared, the picture has gone viral, leaving social media users mesmerised. The picture has collected more than 7,000 views, 509 likes and several retweets. One user wrote, "Amazingly creative photography", while another commented, "Lovely."

In November last year, the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) performed over the skies of Vadodara in Gujarat to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the IAF, and also mark 75 years of India's Independence. 

According to a PTI report, SKAT was formed in 1996 and is a part of the 52nd Squadron of the IAF. Also known as the Ambassadors of the IAF, Surya Kiran has the distinction of being among a handful of nine aircraft formation aerobatic teams in the world.

The team is based at Bidar in Karnataka and flies nine Hawk Mk132 aircraft, designed by British Aerospace and licence manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The team has completed more than 600 displays across the length and breadth of India and in several foreign countries.