Red Arrows 'are running out of jets': Iconic display team are forced to cannibalise old planes for parts as shows come under threat from shortages
The Red Arrows are reportedly running out of jets, forcing the team to pick apart old planes for spare parts.
The iconic fleet has been slashed from 26 working aircraft earlier this year to 17 today, with a further four in so-called deep maintenance and unavailable to fly.
And this number could plummet further to just six planes within three years, placing their famous 'diamond nine' display under threat.
It all means engineers are hurriedly cannibalising old aircraft in a bid to keep the best planes flying.
Sources told The Sun that the stunt team's popular shows, often the highlight of special occasions including Charles III's coronation, could soon be cancelled in the wake of the shortage.
One said: 'There are no two ways about it — the Red Arrows are running out of planes.
'Planes can only fly so many shows before they need new parts.
'So either they get new planes or they have to cancel shows.'
The huge G-forces imparted on the Hawk T1s give them a shorter shelf life than other flypast planes.
MailOnline has approached the Ministry of Defence for comment.
First introduced in 1974, the current crop have been on borrowed time ever since the factory that makes spare parts closed five years ago.
They are due to go out of service in 2030 with the Hawk T2s, which are used to train up RAF pilots, set to retire 10 years later.
RAF chief Sir Richard Knighton insisted he was looking to find a replacement for the Hawk 'as soon as possible'.
But in April it was reported the stunt team could swap its iconic British-built jets for a fleet of Russian-designed aircraft in a move that's left MPs and military top brass furious.
Defence chiefs have reportedly been considering swapping the ageing Hawk T1s - which have been a staple for the famed aerobatic teams - for the M-346.
As revealed by MailOnline earlier this year, much of the RAF display squad's ageing fleet of jets are nearing the end of their shelf lives - with some having been in service for around 50 years.
Reports suggest the RAF may have to turn to Vladimir Putin for alternative aircraft, as the Yorkshire factory that made the BAE Hawks closed in 2020 - with a UK alternative still years away.
The news was branded 'outrageous' by Tories, who said it flew in the face of the Red Arrows' publicly stated role of showcasing British industry and 'reinforcing the reputation of the UK'.
Mark Francois, shadow armed forces minister, was horrified the British jets could be getting side-lined in favour of ones 'endorsed' by Russian tyrant Putin.
'The Red Arrows and their domestically manufactured Hawk jets are an iconic example of British aviation achievement,' the Tory MP told MailOnline.
'When the Hawk retires, in a few years time, it needs a firmly British replacement - not a Putin-endorsed Russian one - to maintain that tradition and boost our sovereign industrial capability, into the bargain.'
Speaking to The Sun, Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge added: 'When the Red Arrows perform their brilliant air displays, their red, white and blue vapour trails represent the Union Jack - not the Russian tricolour.
'Taxpayers would think it extraordinary.'
Former Chief Air Marshal Sir Mike Graydon also hit out and said: 'This would be an extraordinary decision. There would be a strong reaction from the public.'
While retired Air Marshal Edward Stringer added the Red Arrows were meant to 'showcase British kit, training and expertise'.
The Red Arrows was set up in 1954. Made up of some of the RAF's most elite pilots, members of the squad have flown in Folland Gnat and then the BAE Hawk.
However, the T1 Hawk are set to be retired in 2030, while the newer T2 Hawks have been plagued by engine woes. The T2s are set to be retired in 2040.
Defence chiefs have been eager for a new British-made jet to replace the outdated models - with Bristol-based Aeralis among the best options to do so.
But the government said that the £19million Aermacchi M-346, jointly developed by Russia and Italy, is being considered, reported the Sun.
Tyrant Vladimir Putin has previously posed for photos with the Russian version of the jet, known as the Yak-130.
Former RAF fast jet instructor Tim Davies said buying the Russian-linked plane would be 'treasonous'.
While Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told MailOnline: 'That would be totally unacceptable. It's a big no.'
But Downing Street branded claims the Red Arrows could be replaced with Russian-designed planes made in Italy as 'pure speculation' and insisted the procurement process hasn't even started yet.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The Ministry of Defence has made clear this is pure speculation. The procurement for the replacement jets for the Red Arrows has not started.
'So it's clearly not true to say any particular company is being considered. Indeed, the Ministry of Defence and the Italian company have said there have been no discussions with the company over buying that aircraft.
'Clearly I'm not going to get ahead of any future procurement competition, but I would be very clear that we do not procure any military equipment from Russia.'
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence added: 'We have not yet engaged the market on the future Red Arrows jet.'
In January, ex-pilots expressed fears the high number of hours flown, uncovered by a MailOnline probe, will force them to be stood down earlier unless they are preserved.
For fans, this could result in very limited displays, with little aerobatics to expand the lifespan of the jets.
A former RAF fast-jet pilot told MailOnline: 'If they don't get new aircraft, the Reds are finished.'
All of the 16 jets currently in operation – stationed at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire – are approaching 50 years old. The youngest is 43.
Ministers insist the Hawk T1s – engineered by BAE Systems and powered with Rolls-Royce engines – will fly until the planned out-of-service date.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told MailOnline: 'It would be a national disgrace if we lost the Red Arrows.'
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) source said 'there are plenty of hours left to get them to 2030 and, indeed, well beyond if necessary'.
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