Red Arrows Cuts Most Air Displays to Seven Aircraft to Save Ageing Engines

The RAF’s world-famous Red Arrows display team is being reduced to seven BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft instead of nine for most forthcoming outings. The reasons are that the engines are wearing out, there’s a shortage of spares and the collapse of a company that was supposed to be building a replacement. From now on the ageing Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour engines must be rotated so that seven machines can be kept flying. In 2025 the cost to maintain the Red Arrows’ aircraft was £27.7 million.

The Telegraph has the story:

In 2021, the Government extended the out-of-service date for the Red Arrows Hawk T1 aircraft to 2030.

Hawk T1 aircraft – which have performed nearly 4,000 displays worldwide – require substantial maintenance. The spare parts and critical components, particularly the aircraft’s engines, have become less readily available over time.

Because of this shortage, the Red Arrows need to rotate the use of their remaining engines, which can be swapped in and out of the aircraft in the same way as engines are moved in and out of Formula 1 cars.

Earlier this month, an aircraft manufacturer vying to build the next generation of Red Arrows went into administration.

Aeralis Ltd said the move was in response to financial problems because of the delays to the defence investment plan, as well as geopolitics affecting its funding.

An RAF spokesman said: “The Red Arrows are the pride of the nation, known globally for their world-class precision, speed and teamwork.

“The Red Arrows will fly in a nine-aircraft formation for HM The King’s Birthday Flypast and the 4th of July 250 Commemorations in the USA this year.

“For other displays, they will operate with seven aircraft, continuing to deliver high-quality, engaging displays at air shows and events across the UK, mainland Europe and further afield.”

The RAF added vaguely that keeping the Hawk T1s going for longer will help with “a transition to a future aircraft type” without specifying what that might be. The BBC said:

Last year, the UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review recommended that the Hawk T1s should be replaced by a “cost-effective, advanced trainer jet”.

The review suggests that MoD procurement should prioritise British businesses to benefit the UK economy.

Aircraft offered by BAE Systems, Leonardo and several other companies are also considered to be contenders to replace the Hawk T1s but no decisions have been made.

The Red Arrows’ malaise serves as another example of how the formerly great can-do Britain has been reduced to a shadow of its former self and comes hot on the heels of news that the once-heralded HS2 project has been pushed back yet again. 

Never mind, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has several airworthy Spitfires and Hurricanes, though whether they’ll be enough both to defend the country and thrill crowds at air displays remains to be seen. Unfortunately, the Flight’s sole flying Lancaster is currently out of service for a major maintenance programme.

The Telegraph’s story is worth reading in full.

STOP PRESS: The RAF is also subject to the Government’s Net Zero aviation mandate. According to the Telegraph in another story: “The Government’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate on all flights departing the UK will apply to journeys by RAF aircraft on military exercises and deployments.” However, creating “sustainable” fuel from cooking oil and household rubbish currently costs three times as much as regular fuel, meaning the RAF will be splashing out around £1 billion over the next 15 years to meet the target. That’s equivalent to the cost of twelve F-35 Lightning stealth fighters. By 2040, 22% of aviation fuel must be of “sustainable” origin.