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...vergeten was nog de mogelijkheid om Sidewinders onder T.1A's te monteren...Published: Sun, March 17, 2013
The Sunday Express has learned that David Cameron was on the cusp of “privatising” Britain’s elite flying acrobats when he was reminded that they were still militarily deployable.
Sources have revealed that Treasury pressure to further reduce the MoD budget had led the Prime Minister to consider letting the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team take its chances in the market place.
David Cameron told us it would be a terrible waste to axe aircraft ready to convert to frontline planes
RAF source
The move would have made the unit similar in status to the Royal Signals motorcycle display team, the White Helmets. The team is made up of salaried soldiers but must raise its own funds through displays and sponsorship deals to pay for equipment and upkeep. It costs £100,000 a year to run.
However, the Red Arrows costs £9million a year, which has caused some critics to wonder if the team could recoup the costs from air shows.
In a meeting last week, Chief of the Air Staff Sir Stephen Daltonpointed out to the PM the Hawk T1A used by the Red Arrows was equipped with a gun pod on its belly which could be fitted with a 30mm Aden cannon.
Defence cuts have already meant the loss of more than 1,000 RAF personnel and its reduction to just six squadrons.
In an emergency, he argued, the craft could be transformed into nine ground-attack jets within 48 hours.
“I understand Treasury attempts to axe the team quickly disappeared when Downing Street was informed of the Hawk aircrafts’ secondary role,” said an RAF source.
“All the team’s pilots are former frontline fighter ‘jockeys’ so the transition from display team to frontline unit would be a smooth operation.
“David Cameron told us it would be a terrible waste to axe what was not only an aerobatic display team but also aircraft ready to convert to frontline planes.
With the cuts already endured by the RAF, every aircraft counts.”
1 april valt vroeg dit jaar...
) vliegend in 2013 
