Red Arrows crisis must be solved

One of our national treasures is being devalued - and it is another blow to those of us who are frustrated and appalled with seeing Britain's role on the world stage diminished due to shoddy leadership and abundant procrastination. The iconic Red Arrows aerobatic display team will now conduct the majority of their displays with seven aircraft as opposed to the original nine as the engines in the ageing jets are becoming too old. By reducing the number of jets flying, engineers have greater flexibility in rotating the remaining engines in existence to keep the team in the air as the machinery that powers the Hawk T1 jets used by the Red Arrows is no longer in production. Reports suggest that the team will be attending the majority of displays with only seven aircraft until 2030 when the planes are due to be retired and replaced - but this could have all been avoided. It's just the latest example of those responsible for defence and armed forces procurement lacking foresight and strategy to the detriment of Britain's reputation. I have previously written about the farcical situation regarding HMS Dragon - the Type 45 destroyer that took three weeks to be deployed from Portsmouth to the East Mediterranean to protect RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus following a drone strike at the beginning of the Iran war. Britain's defence capability was laid bare over its inability to quickly deploy just one warship and while the Red Arrows are clearly not used for defence purposes, they are a huge symbol of soft power around the world and domestic pride in the UK. Few cannot have been moved by the sight of the Red Arrows flying over Buckingham Palace after the King's Coronation, trailing red, white and blue coloured smoke. You may have been lucky to see the team fly overhead at close quarters if you attended the high-profile events and air displays that they take part in every year around the UK. I live in the wilds of West Sussex, not too far from Goodwood, where the Red Arrows are an annual feature of the Festival of Speed and Revival events. When they perform their displays in the sky above, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up while neighbours take to their gardens to catch the pilots in action as the roar of the engines provide the local soundtrack for twenty minutes - it is an immense experience. Our Red Arrows really are the best of British. Away from these shores, the team conduct displays across the world and participate in overseas tours that combined with campaigns from in-country British Embassies and High Commissions, have resulted in considerable interest and financial investment in the UK. Founded in 1964 and currently led by Wing Commander Sasha Nash, the first woman to hold this position, the Red Arrows over the decades have flown over 5,000 displays in fifty-seven countries. As well as demonstrating the excellent capabilities of pilots, engineers and essential support staff within the RAF, they are also global players in defence diplomacy which is why they matter so much. The Red Arrows should not find themselves in the current situation of having to do their vital work with a reduced number of planes because some penpusher or politician has taken their eye off the ball. It has been clear for years that the British-made Hawk jets would soon need to be replaced due to their age and for some reason little has been done. Instead, we are now witnessing the impact of a lack of decision-making that has seen the Red Arrows needing to take action that will see them mainly operate with a reduced number of aircraft. This is by no-means a criticism of the those involved in the team, who I suspect will be as frustrated with the lack of a future plan as the rest of us. But the question must be asked: is this cock-up or conspiracy? To be honest - it is probably a bit of both which has led to the current situation that the Red Arrows find themselves in. It's clear that there are ongoing issues with defence procurement in this country with a lack of real leadership or urgency - it is also possible that replacing the old Hawk jets is not considered a priority by those who baulk at the idea of Britian proudly demonstrating its national pride. Either way, somebody needs to get a grip and put the needs and future requirements of the Red Arrows at the top of their in-tray - they are one of our greatest British assets that fuel pride and patriotism at a time when we need it most.