Russian Knights to change aircraft

The Russian Knights, a Russian Air Force display team flying Sukhoi Su-27 multirole fighters, may have their final major public performance with these aircraft timed to the Army 2016 flying program. It is possible that the team will shortly replace them with advanced Su-30SM aircraft. In his recent TV interview, Russia’s Aerospace Force Commander-in-Chief Col-Gen Viktor Bondarev confirmed the plans to equip the Russian Knights with the latest modification of the fourth-generation Su-30 family of Russian-designed heavy fighters, which first flew in September 2012. “As for the Russian Knights, the defense minister has already made a decision,” Bondarev said. — “At the end of Q3 [2016] the team will receive Su-30SM aircraft; the pilots will start practicing with them and eventually the team will begin performing with these fighters.” The first Su-30SM performances might take place before year-end. The Russian Knights turned 25 in April this year. The team reports to the 4th Combat Training and Flight Crew Conversion Training Center, at Kubinka airfield outside Moscow.