India’s Surya Kiran Exits LIMA 2025 as South Asian Tensions Ripple Across ASEAN Skies

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Although the ongoing hostilities between India and Pakistan are geographically distant from Southeast Asia, the regional reverberations of their conflict are now tangibly felt in Malaysia, as the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA 2025) registers its first high-profile withdrawal linked to the South Asian standoff.

In a development that underscores how armed confrontations can alter even non-combat diplomatic events, India’s elite Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team has officially pulled out from the aerial segment of LIMA 2025, despite confirming participation earlier this year.

The decision was confirmed by Malaysia’s Defence Minister, Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who acknowledged that the Indian Air Force had initially committed to the airshow but subsequently rescinded due to circumstances linked to the current geopolitical landscape.

“…they (India) were unable to proceed with that intention, as we all understand the current situation and challenges the country is facing,” he told national news agency Bernama during a press conference following a field visit to LIMA’s preparation zone on Monday.

Surya Kiran’s withdrawal comes amid a delicate ceasefire phase in the volatile Pakistan-India confrontation, with both nuclear-armed neighbours maintaining high operational alert across their forward-deployed air assets, especially following recent aerial engagements in Kashmir and Punjab.

Despite the Indian absence, LIMA 2025’s skies will remain a theatre of high-speed manoeuvres and supersonic thunder as the Russian Knights of the Russian Aerospace Forces step into the spotlight.

They will be joined by Indonesia’s Jupiter Aerobatic Team and frontline multirole combat aircraft from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), ensuring the airshow retains its high-octane appeal.

Among the RMAF platforms expected to perform precision aerial demonstrations are the Sukhoi Su-30MKM—equipped with thrust-vectoring engines and electronic warfare pods—and the combat-proven Boeing F/A-18D Hornet, a dual-role strike fighter with extensive regional deployment history.

Held biennially in Langkawi, LIMA has grown into one of Asia-Pacific’s most significant defence exhibitions, serving as both a showcase of aerial and maritime might and a barometer of regional security dynamics.

Making their Langkawi return, the Russian Knights will bring a level of spectacle few aerobatic teams can match, being the only team globally to execute complex formation routines with heavyweight air superiority fighters without airframe modifications.

Founded on 5 April 1991, the Russian Knights operate under the prestigious 237th Guards Proskurov Aircraft Demonstration Centre based at Kubinka Air Base outside Moscow, and remain a symbolic projection of Russian airpower on the global stage.

The team routinely flies the Su-27, Su-30SM, and Su-35S—fighters that represent the cutting edge of Russia’s fourth and 4.5-generation combat aviation—capable of extreme agility and long-range engagement, and fitted with phased array radar, IRST, and TVC engines.

Among their signature manoeuvres is the breathtaking “Kubinka Diamond,” a high-risk, high-precision formation involving up to nine aircraft flying wingtip-to-wingtip in tight diamond configuration at speeds nearing Mach 0.8.

Meanwhile, LIMA 2025 is expected to feature a total of 57 aircraft, including 43 static airframes representing a mix of domestic and foreign platforms—an increase from 34 at the previous edition in 2023.

The static lineup includes 26 Malaysian assets and 17 from countries such as Brunei, Germany, Italy, Canada, Singapore, Russia, and the United States, with commercial aircraft from India, Brazil, France, and Italy also scheduled for display.

The maritime component of LIMA will likewise see enhanced international participation, with 31 naval vessels slated for exhibition and review—up from just 19 ships in 2023—highlighting LIMA’s continued appeal as a strategic engagement platform.

According to the Malaysian Defence Minister, 19 of the participating vessels are from Malaysia, while the remaining 12 hail from Singapore, Indonesia, and the United States, reflecting strong ASEAN and Pacific naval cooperation.

“For the maritime demonstration, a total of 39 assets will be involved compared to 28 during the previous edition,” Mohamed Khaled added, signalling increased investment in amphibious and surface combatant capability demonstration at the event.

The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT), founded on 27 May 1996, is regarded as the aerial diplomacy arm of the Indian Air Force and has long been a symbol of India’s aerial precision and pilot professionalism.

Operating under No. 52 Squadron “The Sharks,” and based at Bidar Air Force Station, the team initially flew the indigenous HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 before transitioning to the BAE Hawk Mk.132 after a temporary disbandment in 2011 due to trainer aircraft shortages.

The Hawk Mk.132—equipped with Rolls-Royce Adour engines and digital flight control systems—offers improved safety, agility, and energy management, making it ideal for tight formation displays and low-altitude aerobatics.

The Surya Kiran aircraft are distinguished by their vibrant orange-and-white liveries and smoke-generating systems, designed for maximum crowd visibility and symbolic flourish.

The team consists of 13 rigorously trained pilots, with nine aircraft typically flown in each display sequence, and new pilots undergoing an intensive six-month training regimen involving 70 to 75 sorties before qualifying for display duty.

Since its inception, Surya Kiran has executed over 500 aerial displays at more than 72 locations globally, performing in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore, and China, enhancing India’s soft power reach through aviation diplomacy.

Among its most iconic performances are the 1998 Indian Independence Day flypast over the Red Fort and its regular appearances at Aero India, one of Asia’s leading defence expos.

Like many elite units, the team has endured tragedies, including a crash on 18 March 2006 that claimed two pilots, and a mid-air collision during Aero India 2019 rehearsals that resulted in a fatality.

Surya Kiran made history on 8 October 2004 by becoming the first unit in the Indian Air Force to receive the Chief of Air Staff Unit Citation, a testament to its excellence in flight discipline and public outreach.

With its motto “Sadaiva Sarvōttama” (“Always the Best”), Surya Kiran remains a potent symbol of India’s aviation excellence, even as it bows out from LIMA 2025 in deference to unfolding regional security tensions.

In their absence, the baton passes to other global aerobatic powerhouses—reminding us that even peace-time aviation displays are never immune to the pressures of geopolitics.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA