Russian "Swifts" Aerobatic Team Celebrates 35th Anniversary

According to a report by Reference News Network on May 10, the Russian newspaper website "Kommersant" reported on May 6 that on May 6, 2026, the legendary Russian Air Force aerobatic team "Swifts" will celebrate its 35th anniversary. Its official establishment date is May 6, 1991. At that time, the pilots flew MiG-29 fighter jets for the first time under the name "Swifts" at an airshow. However, the spectacular flight performances conducted by the Russian Air Force at the Kubinka Air Base outside Moscow have a history that predates this significant date.

It all began in the mid-1980s at the aviation regiment of Kubinka Base—now known as the "first school" of Russian aerobatics. On August 3, 1983, under the leadership of Colonel Sergey Bezyldene, the pilots of the first aviation squadron began test flights of the fourth-generation MiG-29 fighter jet. In the summer of 1984, the first "diamond formation" consisting of four MiG-29s demonstrated complex formation aerobatics under Bezyldene's guidance. In 1986, six MiG-29s arrived at the Rissala Air Base in Finland, marking the first international appearance of this fighter jet.

At the initiative of then Air Force General Nikolai Antoshkin, the 234th Guards Aviation Regiment began to form an aerobatic team. Antoshkin proposed naming the new team "Swifts"—a reference to the swift and agile aerial flying experts.

Shortly after the team's debut, six MiG-29s, newly painted in a white and blue color scheme, flew to the French Reims Air Base for a friendly visit. The "Swifts" also visited the Uppsala Air Base in Sweden. In May 1992, they performed publicly in France at a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the legendary aviation squadron "Normandy-Neman."

The signature moves of the "Swifts" aerobatic team include over 30 different aerobatic maneuvers, such as "Pyramid," "Hammer," "Star," "Arrow," "Cross," and "Wing." The diagonal roll, barrel roll, and the famous "Blooming Flower"—where the aircraft spectacularly disperse in formation and launch flares—left a particularly deep impression on the audience. During formation aerobatics, the distance between the tips of the fighter jets' wings is only 1 meter.

In 1993, the "Swifts" were awarded the title of "World's Best Aerobatic Team." They have represented Russia in performances across multiple countries. At the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia in 1993, Russian mechanics set a record by assembling four MiG-29 fighter jets that had been transported in disassembled condition to Malaysia in just three days. At the 1997 Finnish International Airshow, team leader Nikolai Gajer won first place in the solo aerobatic competition.

In the winter of 2003, the MiG-29s of the aerobatic team were painted in the current red and white color scheme, with bright blue silhouettes of swifts on the fuselage. Since then, the "Swifts" have actively collaborated with the "Russian Knights" aerobatic team. Russian pilots became some of the first in the world to perform aerobatic maneuvers together in different aircraft types. A mixed formation consisting of four MiG-29s and five Su-27s was named "Kubinka Diamond."

Today, the "Swifts" aerobatic team has seven members, including lead pilot Colonel Denis Kuznetsov. The "Swifts" are stationed at the Kubinka Base outside Moscow, under the Ivan Kozhedub Air Force Technical Display Center, performing over 50 shows each year, bringing a visual feast to audiences in Russia and abroad with their superb flying skills.

To celebrate their 35th anniversary, the "Swifts" aerobatic team continues to refine their performance programs. As an active unit, the team continues to showcase the excellent professionalism of Russian pilots and the outstanding achievements of Russian aviation schools to the world. (Translated by He Yingjun)