A start date has been confirmed for the historic Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, tour of the USA and Canada…
The Red Arrows will fly to North America for the Western Hawk 19 tour after taking part in the Royal International Air Tattoo, at RAF Fairford, from 19 July to 21 July. They will travel across the two nations with a view to promoting trade and co-operation in support of the UK’s prosperity agenda.
Defence Minister Mark Lancaster said: “The Red Arrows are an international symbol of Britain and this landmark event will generate a significant amount of investment. It is only right that, after more than a decade away, they return to the home of our closest defence ally.”
Previous tours, which include China, Greece, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan and Bahrain, have led to the UK gaining as much as ten times in sales and investments as the cost of the tour. The Red Arrows will display at several US air shows and areas with strong UK links – the first time they have done so in more than a decade.
Wing Commander Andrew Keith, Officer Commanding, Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, said: “One of the key roles of the Red Arrows is to support UK interests overseas and this major tour to North America will provide an important opportunity to both showcase the best of British and highlight the strong relationships we have with the US and Canada.
“The deployment will build on the recent successful Red Arrows tours to China, the Far East and Gulf regions and the team is already preparing extensively – to present a safe, memorable and visually-exciting formation display to new audiences across the Atlantic.”
