Dressing Up the Chinese-Made L-15E! UAE "Knights" Aerobatic Team Confirms Participation in the 16th China Airshow

On October 28, the coordination meeting and signing ceremony for the participation of the UAE Air Force "Knights" Aerobatic Team at the 16th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition was held in the conference room of the International Military Cooperation Office of the Central Military Commission. The "Knights" Aerobatic Team has officially confirmed its participation in the 16th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.

Returning to Zhuhai, the "Knights" Aerobatic Team will bring a special "Chinese surprise." It is noteworthy that the team has fully transitioned to the L-15E advanced trainer aircraft, independently developed by China. At that time, this world-renowned aerobatic team will perform aerobatic displays in the skies over Zhuhai, flying advanced Chinese-made fighter jets.

This marks not only the "Knights" Aerobatic Team's significant return after 12 years but also a "homecoming" journey flying Chinese warbirds. The powerful engines made in China, combined with the superb skills of UAE pilots, are sure to become the highlight of this airshow.

Looking back to November 2014, at the 10th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the "Knights" Aerobatic Team made their first public appearance in China. At that time, they flew the Italian Macchi MB-339A trainer aircraft, adorned with a black-gold paint scheme symbolizing desert sands, creating the red, green, white, and black colors of the UAE national flag in the blue sky, and performed iconic maneuvers such as the "UAE DNA" double helix and "Palm Tree Bloom." With their elegant and intricate seven-aircraft formation and unique four-color smoke effects, they were praised by domestic audiences as "a moving aerial oil painting."

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. Over the past thirty years, the exhibition has focused on domestic and international audiences, serving not only as an important window to showcase China's great achievements in aerospace and defense industries but also as a bridge for deepening international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation. From the stunning debut flying foreign fighter jets to now returning to the blue skies with Chinese warbirds, the evolution of the "Knights" Aerobatic Team vividly reflects the journey of China's aviation industry into the world and the deepening cooperation between China and the UAE.

During this return to Zhuhai, the "Knights" Aerobatic Team will join forces with the Chinese Air Force August 1st Aerobatic Team and the Russian Aerospace Forces "Warriors" Aerobatic Team to present a spectacular "Blue Sky Ballet." This will also be the first time since 2016 that the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition welcomes two foreign military aerobatic teams to perform together.

(Reporter: Qu Boyu, Huang Dongxu)