As an aside, apart from advertising BAE Systems aircraft, and providing BAE Syatems jobs to build Hawks for little countries airforces, what do the Reds do for the RAF.
Apart from the recruiting value?!
If they are mainly to advertise for BAES, then BAES should fund them 100%, otherwise, the £5.6m should be better spent elsewhere, and in direct support of the front line personnel.
I'm sure a lot of the crew would agree while they sit around in the dump that was once a legendary airfield, having to turn away sponsorship money because of Treasury rules. Get BAe and a few others to pay for it, leave the roundels on and get the RAF to pay the salaries only (as it's good training for the blues and reds) and job's a goddun.