SINGAPORE | One of the Indian Air Force’s aerobatic teams has had to cancel its planned performance at the Singapore Airshow next month after the Ministry of Defence failed to approve the plans.

According to The Hindu, the Sarang aerobatic team were due to perform at the show, scheduled to be held on the 11th-16th February, at the invitation of the Singaporean authorities, but approvals within the Indian government were delayed at “various levels”, sources said.

According to the article, the final decision rested with India’s Ministry of Defence for over a month, with no action taken. Despite allowing extra time, Singaporean authorities have finally been forced to pull the plug on the team’s participation, saying there was no longer time to resolve airspace and safety concerns.

With just days to go, the Singapore Airshow have still not confirmed their flying display line up. However, the Republic of Korea Air Force’s Black Eagles and the United States Air Force’s F-22A Raptor Demonstration Team have self-confirmed their participation. India’s HAL Tejas fighter is also rumoured to be planning an appearance.

Based at Yelahanka Air Force Station, Sarang fly four HAL Dhruv helicopters in a display that lasts approximately 15 minutes. Formed in 2003, their first international display was at Asian Aerospace in Singapore the following year, although they have not returned to Singapore since. Their first and only European tour came in 2008, with the team flying at Farnborough and Biggin Hill.

Sarang were most recently due to fly abroad at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition 2017 in Malaysia, but this display was cancelled at short notice. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson at the time told This is Flight that there were no plans for the team to participate at the show, despite the team being featured prominently on the event’s website for several weeks.

MATSUSHIMA | The aerobatic team of the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force have been told to “be ready” to participate in this year’s Olympic Games, which are to be held in Tokyo.

On Friday 17th January, jets of the Blue Impulse began practicing drawing large rings in the sky over Higashi-Matsushima City, where the Olympic Torch is due to touch down on the 20th March.

The Air Self-Defence Force said it has not been decided whether Blue Impulse will participate in this year’s Games, but the team began practicing on Friday after the Olympic Organising Committee told them to prepare to participate in the torch arrival ceremony and other events.

Blue Impulse famously drew the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo summer Games, with five F-86 Sabres drawing the interlocking rings with white smoke at a height of around 10,000 feet. They also performed a short demonstration with coloured smoke, matching the colours of the Olympic rings, at the opening ceremony of the 1998 winter Games in Nagano.

The team have generally refrained from using coloured smoke in recent years amid concerns that chemicals could stain the ground. However, the Japan Times reported last month that the Air Self-Defence Force has improved its smoke and that the team are expected to draw the Olympic rings in full colour at March’s arrival ceremony.

The Blue Angels are no stranger to major international sporting fixtures. In 2002, the team performed a display over the first match of the FIFA World Cup. In September 2019, the team drew a cherry blossom with white smoke to mark the start of the Rugby World Cup. Blue Impulse are also well-known for drawing patterns in the sky during their display, including a five-pointed star.

Based at Matsushima, Blue Impulse currently fly six Kawasaki T-4 intermediate jet trainers in a white and blue paint scheme.

SINGAPORE | The Republic of Korea’s aerobatic team will be returning to the Singapore Airshow once again this year, according to the team’s Facebook page.

Photo: Adam Landau

The Black Eagles, who fly eight KAI T-50B Golden Eagle jets, posted an image containing the words “Singapore Airshow – We Challenge Again”. The acclaimed team made their Singaporean debut in 2014 and returned in 2016, but had to withdraw from 2018’s show at short notice after an accident during take off on the opening day.

The team are best-known for their daring synchronised aerobatics, including manoeuvres such as the ‘Rainfall’, ‘Dizzying Break’ and ‘Taeguek’, when two jets draw Korea’s national symbol in the sky with their smoke trails.

The Black Eagles will join the USAF’s F-22A Raptor Demo Team in the flying display lineup, which is also expected to feature a Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG Eagle, which has been spotted practicing an aerobatic routine over Pulau Sudong. Last year, HAL also said they expected to exhibit the Tejas at the show.

Also from India, the Sarang helicopter formation team were due to return to Singapore this February. However, it has since come to light that the Indian Ministry of Defence failed to approve the plans in time, and the team’s participation had to be cancelled.

The Singapore Airshow takes place on the 11th-16th February 2020. The final two days will be open to the public. You can read our guide to the show here.