KUBINKA /Moscow Region/, May 5. /TASS/. More than 140 planes and helicopters - twice the number that participated in last year’s V-Day parade - took part in a rehearsal of this year’s jubilee event timed for the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
"The most advanced aircraft from long-range, transport, fighter, fighter-bomber and army aviation units flew over Moscow’s Red square at an altitude of 200 meters," the Defense Ministry’s Air Force spokesman, Colonel Igor Klimov, told the media.
The newest fighters Sukhoi-30 and Sukhoi-35, upgraded helicopter gunships Mi-35M and training helicopters Ansat-U appeared over Moscow for the first time.
Also featuring in the rehearsal were refueling groups, heavy planes, army and tactical aviation groups and also an early warning and control system plane A-50.
"A total of 21 types of aircraft the Russian Air force has in service were involved: strategic bombers Tupolev-160, Tupolev 95MS, and Tupolev22M3, interceptors MiG-31, bombers Sukhoi-24M and Sukhoi-34, fighter-bombers Sukhoi-25SM, and training jets Yakovlev-130, and several types of helicopters: Kamov-52, Mi-28N and Mi-35, Mi-26 and Mi-8 AMTSH, Ansat-U."
By tradition taking part in the rehearsal were aerobatics groups Russian Knights and Strizhi (Swifts), which demonstrated the world-famous Diamond of Kubinka - a formation of five MiG-29 and Sukhoi-27 jets. The pilots of the air group Russian Falcons showed a ten-plane formation called Tactical Wing.
To round up the show fifteen MiG-29 and Sukhoi-25 fighter-bombers formed the figure 70 in the sky, and six Sukihoi-25 fighter-bombers ejected bright plumes of smoke the colors of Russia’s state flag.