'Save our Red Arrows!' Ex-pilots urge Labour to halt scrapping of British planes
The Red Arrows, founded in 1964, have only ever flown British jets - but their current plane is approaching its retirement date, with no replacement confirmed.
Nine former Red Arrows daredevils have joined forces to call on Labour to keep the iconic display team flying British planes. The ex-pilots say the jets flown by the Red Arrows must “symbolise British innovation” as they urged defence chiefs not to choose a foreign aircraft to replace the ageing Hawk T1.
The pilots, who flew in Red Arrows performances across the world, hope to have the matter debated in Parliament after submitting a petition. The Express previously revealed the team could take to the skies in a non-UK jet for the first time after Government delays in selecting a replacement tipped the balance towards US manufacturers. Andy Wyatt, who set up the petition, said he is concerned this could “accelerate the erosion of sovereign capability” and make Britain more reliant on overseas.
The former pilot told the Express: “Wherever we went, whether it was at home in the UK or more importantly abroad, then we always represented the very best of British.
“Not in terms of just our professionalism as a team, but also in what we were flying in the capabilities of our aerospace industry.
“I just felt that if we were to lose that expertise then it would be criminal really because the British aerospace industry has been in sad decline really since the 50s.
“The last vestiges are now, if we don’t do something about it now with whatever we can then we will have nothing.”
Mr Wyatt, who completed three display seasons with the Red Arrows in the early 1990s, added: “To see certainly the Red Arrows, which represent everything British, being replaced by what’s been purported to be an American or Italian design — good though they are — they do not represent the UK or UK aerospace industry.”
The Red Arrows have flown the Hawk T1s at airshows since 1980.
The planes are set to go out of service in March 2030, while the updated Hawk T2s used to train military fast jet pilots are due to be retired in 2040.
The T2s have faced availability, reliability and engine issues and the head of the Armed Forces previously said he would like to see them replaced sooner.
A decision on replacing the Hawk has been repeatedly delayed and sources claim an inherent bias towards major US firms, plus a lengthy and costly selection process, is likely to sideline British manufacturers.
Defence chiefs are said to favour the Boeing-Saab T-7A Red Hawk, in collaboration with BAE Systems, while an aircraft by Italian firm Leonardo is another option.
The Aeralis jet is currently the only UK-designed-and-built contender.
But with the tender process still yet to begin, it is believed the firm could look to move operations out of the country, leaving only foreign options to replace the Hawk.
The aircraft has been one of Britain’s greatest export successes and central to the soft power projected by the Red Arrows.
Former team commander and pilot David Montenegro, who is one of the petition’s eight co-sponsors, said: “The next aircraft doesn’t need to be British for the sake of being British, it’s got to meet the Air Force’s, the Ministry of Defence's requirements and needs for training.
“If it doesn’t, then clearly it’s time to look elsewhere, but if that option is there, then I think it would be much more favourable for particularly the soft power element of what the platform can deliver, what the team can deliver.”
He added: “I think the argument of we’re trying to support British industry, sovereign defence and then everything that flows from that is much, much more supported when the platform you're flying is from your own country and for us that would be a British build.”
The requirement for new advanced jet trainers was detailed in last year’s Strategic Defence Review.
There are warnings the Red Arrows could struggle to have a replacement in time for March 2030 unless officials accelerate the process.
No decision will be made until after the publication of the Defence Investment Plan (DIP).
The document is months overdue, pushing Britain’s defence industry into what has been described as “paralysis”.
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge called on Labour to decide on the Red Arrows’ next aircraft “ASAP”, saying the Government’s “dither and delay” is damaging UK firms.
“It would be a massive blow to our military prestige for such a symbol of national pride to be replaced with a non-British jet,” he said.
“Conservatives have raised the future of the Red Arrows repeatedly in Defence Questions and on the floor of the house last May, I asked the Secretary of State if he will guarantee that the next jet for the Red Arrows will be designed and manufactured in the United Kingdom — given that one of the publicly stated roles of the Red Arrows is ‘supporting British industry’ .
“Our Armed Forces and our sovereign defence industry deserve better.”
Aeralis would see its aircraft manufactured in locations across England and completed at a facility in western Scotland. The Bristol-based firm is yet to build a prototype.
CEO Tristan Crawford said the Hawk’s successor is “more than just about replacing old jets”.
He said: “It’s about demonstrating what the UK stands for; a commitment to developing market-leading aircraft that protect our freedom.
“It’s about showing that these things define our identity, a country that expects our own world-class engineering to deliver sights such as the Red Arrows that inspire our kids to dream big.”
The Boeing-Saab T-7A would undergo final assembly in the UK, creating high value jobs and boosting the domestic supply chain, according to BAE Systems.
A spokesperson said: “Our joint approach brings together three leading global defence primes at the heart of UK combat air capability, offering the UK a next-generation, cost‑effective, capable and reliable solution that protects sovereign industrial skills, meets RAF requirements, and delivers economic and social benefits across the UK.”
Leonardo, which was approached for comment, has previously pledged to work with UK partners on its Aermacchi M-346 jet.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The fast jet trainer programme is ongoing and no final procurement decisions have been made.
“We want the UK to be the best place in the world to start and grow a defence business and since July 2024 we have signed nearly 1,200 major contracts, with 93% of that spend going to UK-based companies.”
