Red Arrows to fly with fewer jets to preserve ageing fleet

The Red Arrows volition alert with less craft for astir of their displays arsenic the RAF seeks to sphere the celebrated aerobatics team's ageing fleet.

Pilots volition alert successful a nine-aircraft enactment for King Charles III's day flypast successful June and 1 period aboriginal to assistance the US people its 250th day of independency but they volition alert with 7 craft for different events from this year.

The existent fleet of Hawk T1s - which person been flown since 1980 - is owed to beryllium retired successful 2030, with spare parts little readily available.

A spokesperson for the RAF said the scaling backmost would "support the sustainable absorption of the fleet and hole the squad for a modulation to a aboriginal craft type".

The Red Arrows are utilized to show the force's subject capabilities and assistance with recruitment. They bash not prosecute successful combat oregon progressive subject operations.

In a connection connected Friday, a RAF spokesperson said the iconic squad was known globally for "world-class precision, speed, and teamwork".

They added that pilots "will run with 7 aircraft, continuing to present precocious prime engaging displays astatine airshows and events crossed the UK, mainland Europe and further afield".

There are astatine slightest 40 displays planned for this year.

The Red Arrows person antecedently flown with 7 aircraft, including successful 2012 and 2022.

A British aerospace institution that had been processing a replacement for the Hawk T1s went into medication past week.

Aeralis had pitched itself arsenic the lone British steadfast capable to proviso a caller precocious pitchy trainer that would beryllium designed and built successful the UK.

Administrators said the institution had faced "a sustained play of pressure" connected its cashflow aft "continued delays to the UK Defence Investment Plan, combined with geopolitical factors affecting sources of funding".

In response, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "The accelerated pitchy trainer programme is ongoing and nary last procurement decisions person been made."

Last year, the UK government's Strategic Defence Review recommended that the Hawk T1s should beryllium replaced by a "cost-effective, precocious trainer jet".

The reappraisal suggests that MoD procurement should prioritise British businesses to payment the UK economy.

Aircraft offered by BAE Systems, Leonardo and respective different companies are besides considered to beryllium contenders to regenerate the Hawk T1s but nary decisions person been made.