| 52 Squadron 'The Sharks' | |
|---|---|
 "The crest of the No. 52 Squadron" | |
| Founded | 1 January 1986 |
| Country |  India |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Type | Aerobatic Squadron |
| Role | Aerobatic Display Team |
| Size | 9 Aircraft / 13 Pilots |
| Garrison/HQ | Bidar Air Force Station |
| Nickname(s) | The Sharks |
| Motto(s) | सदैव सर्वोत्तम (Sanskrit:Sadaiva Sarvottam, English:Always the Best) |
| Colors | day-glo orange and white |
| Anniversaries | 01 January |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Trainer | BAE Systems Hawk |
No. 52 Squadron is an aerobatic squadron of the Indian Air Force. It was established in January 1986. It is presently based at Bidar Air Force Station. It is popularly known as the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT). SKAT performs across the country, and has performed in China, the UK, Germany, Laos and Sri Lanka. The Surya Kirans were among the top three nine-aircraft aerobatics teams in the world, along with the British Red Arrows and the Canadian Snowbirds.[2] The Squadron motto is "Sadaiv Sarvottam", which translates as "Always the Best".[3] For its consistent performance since 1996, the Suryakiran was awarded Chief of the Air Staff's Unit Citation on 8 October 2004. It is the first unit in the IAF to receive this award.[3]