Britain’s elite Red Arrows are set to carry out their largest ever tour of North America as they paint the skies of the US and Canada, red, white and blue…

Announcing the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team’s historic nine-week programme, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the Red Arrows would display across the Americas, reaching millions of people and showcasing the very best of British aviation.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson (DRAFT) said: “Our Red Arrows fly the flag for Britain across the globe, both in the skies and on the ground, and this tour will not only showcase their teamwork and aviation excellence, but also promote our great nation to billions of people across the world.

“After an incredible year celebrating RAF 100, it seems only fitting that the Red Arrows prepare to illuminate the skies of our closest allies in 2019, celebrating and strengthening our incredible relationship with the US.”

The Red Arrows’ return to the US will mark the first significant tour of North America in a generation, with the team last touring in the country in 1993. And the start of the deployment next year will be the first display the team has put on in the US in a decade, following a short visit by the Red Arrows to the east coast of the US in 2008.

As well as displaying at a range of shows and events across the Americas, the team will also attend engagements promoting the Government’s GREAT campaign, visit local schools, meet with business leaders and showcase the very best of British culture.

The tour is expected to generate £2.5bn in direct foreign investment for the UK.

Air Vice Marshal Warren James, the senior RAF officer responsible for the Red Arrows, said: “The deployment of the Red Arrows will demonstrate the global reach and capability of the RAF and our continuing support of the United Kingdom’s defence and commerce industries.

“Together with the GREAT Britain campaign, Western Hawk 19 will showcase our excellence, professionalism and proud heritage in education, engineering, technology and finance to our allies.  We are very much looking forward to our visit in August and September of 2019.”

The US programme comes after the Red Arrows’ successful 2016 tour of Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The nine-week, 20,000-mile deployment visited 17 countries and drew a global audience of a billion people, with the team displaying in China for the first time.