The A-4 Skyhawk was designed by Ed Heinemann from the Douglas Aircraft Corporation and first flew in 1954. Designed as a lightweight single engine attack aircraft it was consider by many to be the most famous ever built in this category. The A-4 was the pioneer of the “buddy” air-to-air refueling concept where aircraft of the same type could transfer fuel from one to the other without the use of a dedicated tanker. . A total of 2,960 A-4 aircraft were produced with the USMC retiring the last one in 1996.

The RSAF “Black Knights” was created in 1973 and equipped with 4 Hawker Hunters which they flew until 1983 when they were disbanded. In 1981 another team was created, the “Flying Tigers” that were equipped with F-5E aircraft so they became the “Black Knights”. In 1990 the team began to fly 6 A-4SU Super Skyhawks and in 1999 the team switched to 4 A-4SUs and 2 F-16As until 2007 when they flew 6 F-16s.The “Black Knights” were disbanded between 2009 and 2013 when they were re-established with 6 new F-16Cs