India - Know about Sagar Pawan, Surya Kiran - HAL HJT-16 Kiran and HAL Jet Trainer-36 (HJT-36) Sitara

India - Know about Sagar Pawan, Surya Kiran - HAL HJT-16 Kiran and HAL Jet Trainer-36 (HJT-36) Sitara
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HAL HJT-16 Kiran will be replaced with the new HAL HJT-36 around June or July 2010
On March 3, 2010, an aircraft of the Sagar Pawan team crashed in Hyderabad while performing in an air show
Pilot Commander Suresh Kumar Maurya and co-pilot Lt Cdr Rahul Nair were killed in the crash.


Sagar Pawan (sea breeze) is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Indian Navy's Aviation Arm.
Sagar Means Sea and Pawan means Breeze.
The teams use 4 Hindustan Aeronautics HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft,
And are based at the Dabolim Naval Air Station, INS Hansa in Goa, Southern India.
The color scheme used by the aircraft is dark blue on white.
The Team started training for aerobatic aerobatics in end 2001.
The Team was initially called as Sagarkiran and it is under this name that the Team made its formal inaugural debut display (then with only three aircraft).
The Team's name was later changed to the present name of Sagar Pawan
The Team is also fondly referred to as INSPAT - Indian Navy Sagar Pawan Aerobatic Team or simply SPAT.
Sagar Pawan
Indian Navy Flight Exhibition Team
Active 2003 to Present
Branch - Indian Navy
Role - Aerobatic flight demonstration team
Garrison/HQ - Dabolim Naval Air Station, Goa, India
Colors - "Dark Blue on White"
Aircraft flown -Fighter 4- HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2

The HAL HJT-16 Kiran (Ray of Light) is an Indian two-seat basic jet trainer built by Hindustan Aeronautics.
Role - Basic Jet Trainer
Manufacturer - Hindustan Aeronautics
First flight - 1964
Introduced - 1968
Status - In Service
Primary users - Indian Air Force, Indian Navy
Number built - 190
It is used by the Indian Air Force aerobatic team Surya Kiran and Indian naval acrobatic team Sagar Pawans.
Kiran Mk.I - Two-seat basic jet trainer powered by a Rolls-Royce Viper turbo-jet engine. 118 built.
Kiran Mk.IA -Two-seat basic jet trainer with armament capability. Two underwing hard points fitted. 72 built.
Kiran Mk.II -Improved version with four hardpoints and integral twin 7.62 mm machine guns in nose and a Rolls-Royce Orpheus engine.
HAL Hindustan Jet Trainer-36 (HJT-36) Sitara
Sitara means star.
Kiran will be replaced with the new HAL HJT-36 trainer undergoing flight trials.

Surya Kiran (Sun Rays) is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force, successors to the Thunderbolts.
Equipment - HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft and HJT-36 Sitara to be used in future
The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 to serve as the "Ambassadors of the Indian Air Force" and to "showcase the professionalism, the calibre and the mettle of the Indian Air Force"
The HJT-16 is the basic armaments trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force, and is used for intermediate flight and weapons training.
The Surya Kiran team were conferred squadron status in 2006, and presently have the designation of 52 Squadron, Air force ("The Sharks")
The team has a total of 13 pilots of whom only 9 are flying at any given time.


The squadron is primarily composed of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 military trainer aircraft and is based at the Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka.
The Indian Air Force has already placed orders for 12 such aircraft to replace the Kiran jets used by the Surya Kiran team.
The order by the Indian Air Force could eventually grow to 250 aircraft.
Two prototype aircraft have been built.
These aircraft have undergone 280 test flights.
The HJT-36 is scheduled to enter service with the Indian Air Force in June, 2010.
The AL-55I engine arrived from Russia on 28 December 2008.
The aircraft made its maiden flight with the Russian AL-55I engine on 9 May 2009.
General characteristics -
• Crew: two, student and instructor
• Length: 11.00 m (36 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 10.00 m (32 ft 10 in)
• Height: 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in)
• Max takeoff weight: 4,600 kg (10,000 lb)
• Power plant: 1× Snecma Larzac or Al-55I turbofan, 14.1 kN or 17kN (3,170 lbf or 4,500 lbf)

Performance -
• Maximum speed: Mach 0.80 (850 km/h, 540 mph)
• Service ceiling: 9,000 m (29,520 ft)
• Endurance: 3 hours
• Maximum Dive Speed: 950 km/h
• Maximum Load Factor: +7.0/-2.5 g

Armament -
• 5 X hardpoints with up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of a variety of guns, bombs, rockets, and missiles
• 1 × 23 mm cannon (optional)

Below is the Photo of Surya kiran –



Below is the Photo of HAL Hindustan Jet Trainer-36 (HJT-36) Sitara