How about Red Drones, no need for the aircrew to leave the bar...

Haven't we just ordered 9 P-8s..........:E

The fact that the statement is lacking the whole story gives much cause for concern.


Were it "Red Arrows to get Hawk T2" in 2018 just in time for the RAF Centenary year I could believe it and await the public outcry from some about the plethora of things that would benefit from taxpayers money.


Todays statement is akin to throwing a brick in a pond. Govt now stand back and see how many ripples reach the shore based upon speculation to test the water and see if 'new aircraft' need to be downgraded to recycled aircraft such as Tucano - or the whole thing filed under "J for joke".


For sure MFTS/Ascent could be a stick in the spokes as politics presently play its hand with Grob Tutor deployments away from base and the need for ground support.


The more I think about it, the more I think today is a scoping exercise for public reaction. The Grannies & Spotters will love it; a huge swathe of society will begrudge it. It needs to be done and dusted well outside any potential election campaign for it is destined to be contentious.

From the first post's link:

Ahhh, that's a different story altogether.

Better not done at all than badly surely?

Lots of aircraft sitting in a certain Shropshire airbase.

Probably best if they get some early Typhoons, and are declared as a UK AD Sqn, with PR Aero's as a "secondary" (primary!) task! :cool:

OAP

Do we have a dozen spare Typhoons with enough airframe life to cope with the Reds' exuberant flying?

Anyway, it's now another 'Review", just like the LTC has had them as a line item since the 80s.

Red Bull Arrows ??

There's bound to be a sensible answer to this question, but what exactly can a T1 Hawk do that a T2 cannot?

The most unradical solution would be Hawk T2s. If we're getting an extra 2 Typhoon Sqns dedicated to air defence, and given the current political climate, we may expect possibly to see more T2s anyway from which perhaps enough to form a 5 or 7 ship for example. Such a move would be reasonable and en:8sure the team live on for a fair few years yet!

However, if the thinking is to use anything lighter would certainly miss the point of the Red Arrows altogether.

Interesting though how in these more abundant and resourceful times the RAF have no obvious successor to a display team mount that has been on the go for 40 years or so. :hmm:

FB:)

Cost per flying hour would be a bit of an issue for Typhoon, sadly.

Typhoon - £70-90k/hour a few years back.
Hawk T1 (Red Arrows) - £6k/hour

Hard to see how the answer shouldn't be a Hawk T2. Being UK built is part of the overall media/PR package.

I don't think many in the public really care about the marginal cost of running the RAFAT.

And as for numbers - it has to be nine if for no other reason that the Patrouille de France have eight aircraft :)

Could the replacement be the Textron AirLand Scorpion?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textron_AirLand_Scorpion

An April Fool this year. Scorpion photo shopped in Reds scheme.

STOP PRESS! Red Arrows Hawk Replacement Announced

I predicted the purchase of a fleet of Kawasaki P1s, so in the same vein of unflappable self-delusion, I offer you:

Boeing: Boeing T-X Sees the Light

Job's a good un.

Maybe HAL will offer a good deal on some Hawk 132s? The IAF did after all buy 20 for its own aerobatic team recently...

Alternatively, how many Alpha Jets do QQ have...?

Plenty here to choose from. Reckon they'd fit the budget. Not much to look at mind. :ok:

http://www.aero-news.net/images/cont...pers-0416a.jpg

Simples...

When do the Red Arrows become one of the largest squadrons in the RAF?

Following on from LBs comment about the Red Arrows being declared a reserve combat squadron....

As a combat squadron (I hesitate to say AD or GA given the mix of crew backgrounds) would the Red Arrows aircrew offer one of the toughest challenges out there to an enemy? or would they be not at their best combat wise due to the aeros practice?

I know this is a rather whimsical question, but they've apparently been chosen as the best of the best (cue volleyball scene...).

Sorry, in a flippant mood tonight.

buy Hawks to keep the production line running......

I would imagine the T1s will soldier on for a while yet. Potentially, could any replacement be linked with new aircraft for 100 and &
736NAS? Assuming those units have a long term future.