The UK Just Admitted It Can No Longer Build The Red Arrows' Next Jet

A UK government report in the House of Commons Library acknowledges that Britain can no longer rely on an in-country industrial base to build the next generation of fast-jet training aircraft for the Red Arrows and other RAF roles. The four-year Defence Investment Plan (DIP) commits funding to recapitalize the jet trainer system and procure a new aircraft to replace the BAE Systems Hawk, including as a platform for the Red Arrows. The report notes the Hawk production line in Brough shut in 2020, leaving “no sovereign industrial capability” to manufacture fast-jet trainers domestically. It also points to Aeralis, a candidate modular jet developer, which entered administration in May 2026 amid cash-flow problems.