[QUOTE=Navaleye;3082234] can we afford to maintain a dedicated aerobatic display team when their kit times out in three years time, when the rest of the services are having to sell the family silver? QUOTE]
Short answer is that we obviously can, of course.
It's more a question of whether we (or to be more precise, the Treasury) wants to. Clearly, dumping the Reds wouldn't release so much as a penny for use elsewhere, but we're supposed to imagine that it would.
It's a pity that out beloved tabloids can't divert their attention from the afore-mentioned Jade Goody, and instead of telling every half-wit in the country what to think about her (because it seems, most of the population is incapable of forming a judgement without having one forced upon them), maybe they could start asking us to consider why it is that when our armed forces are tasked with the defence of the United Kingdom, their ability to undertake this task is being crippled by bizarre political crusades overseas that will ultimately save not so much as one British life, but actually result in the loss of many.
Surely, somebody ought to be asking how we've reached a stage where we're having to seriously look at chopping the Red Arrows in order to balance defence budgets, while the armed forces are up to their necks fighting wars in other people's countries. It's complete madness.