INDIAN AIR FORCE AEROBATIC TEAM WITHDRAWS FROM LIMA'25

LANGKAWI, May 19 (Bernama) -- The Indian Air Force aerobatic team, Surya Kiran, has withdrawn from participating in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA’25).

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said India had initially confirmed its intention to send the team to the biennial exhibition but had to cancel due to issues currently affecting the country.

“They had expressed readiness to take part. However, they cannot proceed due to the situation back home,” he told a press conference after inspecting preparations for LIMA’25 here today.

Despite the withdrawal, he said the exhibition would still showcase aerobatic displays by several renowned international teams, including the Russian Knights from Russia and Jupiter from Indonesia.

“For local teams, we have solo performances by the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Layang-Layang Flying Academy and Aerotree Defence and Services,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said a total of 57 aircraft would be featured in the 17th edition of the exhibition, including 43 static air assets from local and foreign participants, an increase from 34 in 2023.

“Of the total, 26 are local air assets while 17 are from abroad, including countries such as Brunei, Germany, Italy, Canada, Singapore, Russia and the United States. Commercial aircraft from India, Brazil, France and Italy will also be on display,” he said.

On the maritime segment, he said 31 ships from domestic and foreign fleets would take part in the static display and fleet review.

“This is an increase from just 19 ships at LIMA 2023. Of the 31, 19 are from Malaysia while 12 are from countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and the United States.

“For the maritime demonstration, a total of 39 assets will be involved compared to 28 during the previous edition,” he added.

Mohamed Khaled also said that representatives from 46 countries, including ASEAN member states and Malaysia’s friendly nations, have been invited to attend the exhibition, comprising a total of 140 delegates.

“These delegates include ministers, deputy ministers, secretaries-general and heads of military services,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the Defence Ministry would investigate claims that an air show rehearsal caused damage to house windows in a nearby village, as seen in a viral 56-second video.

“We’re aware of the matter and will not ignore it. Air displays can sometimes have minor effects,” he said.

LIMA’25, co-organised by the Defence Ministry and Global Exhibitions and Conferences Sdn Bhd, carries the theme “Innovate Today, Thrive Tomorrow”, highlighting innovation and competitiveness in the maritime and aerospace sectors.

The exhibition, taking place in Langkawi, Kedah from May 20 to 24, is the largest maritime and aerospace showcase in Southeast Asia since its inception in 1991.

-- BERNAMA