What is Fursan Al Emarat? The UAE’s elite aerobatics team

Dubai: By now, you have probably seen the footage, sleek jets trailing red, white and blue smoke as they glide past the Statue of Liberty. That was Fursan Al Emarat, the UAE's national aerobatics team, taking part in America's 250th birthday celebrations.

Flying alongside the US Navy's Blue Angels and squadrons from the US Air Force, the team made history this year as its jets took to American skies for the first time.

Renowned for its formation flying, daring manoeuvres and trademark coloured smoke, Fursan Al Emarat has become one of the most admired aerobatic displays on the international airshow circuit and its US debut has introduced it to an entirely new audience.

Here is everything worth knowing about Fursan Al Emarat - its history, its aircraft, the people behind the display, and where you can watch them next.

Fursan Al Emarat, Arabic for ‘Knights of the Emirates’ is the official national aerobatics team of the UAE. Established in 2008, the squadron is made up of elite pilots from the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, chosen to represent the country at airshows around the world.

The team made its debut display at the Dubai Airshow in 2011, flying seven aircraft in formation to symbolise the UAE's seven emirates. Its black and gold livery, represents the two forces that have shaped the nation, oil and the desert.

For most of its history, Fursan Al Emarat has flown the Aermacchi MB-339, an Italian-built jet fighter and light attack aircraft known for its agility in tight formation work. That changed in 2025, when the team introduced a new fleet at the Dubai Airshow, the Chinese-built Hongdu L-15, marking a significant shift in the squadron's capability as it enters a new era of display flying.

Fursan Al Emarat's pilots are handpicked from squadrons across the UAE Air Force and Air Defence. Selection is demanding, candidates need exceptional physical fitness, mental resilience, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness, along with the ability to make split-second decisions under pressure.

Between them, the pilots are qualified to fly three distinct display profiles, each suited to different weather conditions and built from a repertoire of formations that require total trust between aircraft. Precision isn't a bonus here - it's the entire foundation of the display.

A Fursan Al Emarat performance depends on far more than the pilots in the cockpit. The team operates through three coordinated crews:

Each crew works in close sync with the others, together showcasing the capabilities of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence on the international stage.

One of the most recognisable features of a Fursan Al Emarat display is its synchronised coloured smoke, trailing streams of colour that twist and curl behind the jets.

That effect is created by the Smoke System Technician, who blends smoke materials to precise measurements so the correct colours appear the moment 'Emirati 1'- the call sign used for the lead pilot, calls "Smoke on."

The smoke, however, isn't purely decorative. It serves a practical purpose too, allowing pilots to read wind speed and direction in real time, information that becomes critical once a formation splits and aircraft separate at speed.

Fursan Al Emarat has spent more than a decade performing at major airshows across the UAE and internationally.

You don't always have to catch the team at an airshow, they also perform for the public at other events, with dates announced well in advance. To catch an upcoming display, follow the team's official Instagram (@fursanalemarat), Facebook and X account (@fursanalemarat7) - where its full calendar of events is posted, complete with locations, dates and times.