“Red Thunder,” race number 777, is an L-39MS that served as a military trainer for the Czechoslovak Air Force and then the Slovak Air Force. Transferred to the United States in 2000, it changed hands a number of times and underwent a series of upgrades and modifications in subsequent years in its operations as a red aggressor aircraft serving the United States Navy and Air Force. It is powered by a DV2 engine that produces up to 4,850 pounds of thrust and features modern avionics and hydraulic flight controls with dual independent hydraulic systems. Painted in a striking red, white, and silver pattern, Red Thunder first participated in the Reno Air Races in 2019. Qualifying in the Gold Race that year, it finished in 4th place with an average speed of 435.061 miles per hour.