On December 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a working trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where he traveled by plane accompanied by a group of four Su-35 fighters. The protection of борт номер 1 (flight number 1) was carried out by first-class pilots of the Russian Knights aerobatic team.
From the point of view of logistics, coordination and the amount of decisions made, the task was not easy. The flight crew performed it, including at night
It is specified that the flight of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's aircraft took place over the Caspian Sea, Iran, and the Persian Gulf. First, Putin visited Abu Dhabi, then went to Riyadh. In total, the route length was 8 thousand km.
The "Russian Knights" thanked the country's top military leadership for their trust.
Such an escort of the presidential plane is a rare event in the history of aviation. The Su-35s flew without refueling and had a standard arsenal of weapons.