[3] During the golden jubilee year of the Indian Air Force in 1982, select fighter pilots from various squadrons were assigned to the No.

Flying nine blue and white colored Hunter aircraft, the team performed aerobatic displays till 1989.

[4] The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 and was based at Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka.

[6] The team was formed under Wing Commander Kuldeep Malik who had been a member of the Thunderbolts on the eve of Aero India 1996, the first aerospace defense exhibition.

[8] The Surya Kiran team performed their first public display for the golden jubilee celebrations of Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore on 15 September 1996.

In October 2015, an agreement was signed for the purchase of twenty BAE Systems Hawk Mk.132 aircraft fitted with smoke canisters dedicated to the aerobatics display role.

[12] Besides the pilots, the team has a Flight Commander, an administrator and technical officers tasked with the maintenance and servicing of the aircraft.

[12] The Surya Kiran team performed their first public display with six aircraft for the golden jubilee celebrations of Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore on 15 September 1996.

The team has performed at an altitude of 5,436 ft (1,657 m) in Srinagar and over the seas which is challenging due to the water affecting depth perception.

[18] In December 2007, the team in coordination with the Royal Thai Air Force conducted a nine-aircraft display to commemorate the 80th Birth Anniversary of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand.