Red Arrows to use just seven aircraft until 2030 due to ageing engines

The RAF will reduce the Red Arrows display formation from nine aircraft to seven until 2030 because Hawk T1 engines are ageing and spare parts are less available. The team will still fly a nine-aircraft formation for specific events, including the King’s birthday flypast and the 250th anniversary of America’s Independence Day on 4 July. The Hawk T1 aircraft have delivered nearly 4,000 displays worldwide, but they require significant maintenance and critical engines. The Chief of the Air Staff is understood to have decided on the change to keep the fleet viable and avoid overextending engineering resources. All Hawk T1 aircraft remaining in the RAF’s fleet are planned to be retired in 2030 after an out-of-service date extension in 2021.

"The RAF will fly just seven Red Arrows instead of the usual nine for most displays until 2030, due to ageing engines in the fleet of Hawk T1 aircraft. The world-famous display team of the Royal Air Force will still fly in a nine aircraft formation for the flypast on the King's birthday and at the 250th anniversary of America's Independence Day on 4th July."

"But the Hawk T1 planes, which have delivered nearly 4,000 displays worldwide, require significant maintenance and critical spare parts, including engines, which are less readily available than previously, as first reported by Sky News. The Chief of the Air Staff is understood to have made the decision to change the formation size, aiming to ensure that the fleet remains viable and engineering resources are not overstretched."

"All Hawk T1 aircraft remaining in the RAF's fleet will be retired in 2030, after the out of service date was extended by the Conservative government in 2021. Although most of the UK's original T1s were phased out in 2022, the Red Arrows aerobat"

Read at www.independent.co.uk