The British military’s aerial display team, Red Arrows, and the Royal Navy, which was recently mocked by US President Donald Trump, will soon visit the United States to mark 250 years of American independence, the UK MoD said on Sunday.
The Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows will in June embark on a one-month “showcase tour” of the United States, while an unspecified number of navy ships will head there later this month, it announced.
It comes despite US President Trump and his defense secretary Pete Hegseth making a series of disparaging comments about Britain’s navy in recent months. Trump labeled the UK’s two aircraft carriers “toys” and quipped the country did not “even have a navy”, while Hegseth sarcastically referred to it as the “big, bad Royal Navy”.
That followed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to join offensive operations in the US-Israeli war in the Middle East and reluctance to allow American forces to use British military bases to attack Iran.
The ceremonial military deployments will come just weeks after King Charles III’s four-day US state visit, which was hailed as a success and a boost to the overstretched “special relationship”.
The Royal Navy ships will visit New Orleans later this month, according to Britain’s defense ministry.
They will then attend a major commemorative maritime event — the US Navy’s “International Naval Review 250” — in the port of New York and New Jersey in July.
The Red Arrows team will deliver a series of “spectacular displays” at 13 events across New York, Washington, Wisconsin, Maine, Maryland, and Michigan between June 27 and July 26, commemorating the 1776 independence anniversary.
On July 4 — celebrated annually in the US as Independence Day — the red jets will participate in a major international flypast over New York, performing for tens of thousands of spectators, the ministry added.
“We’re honored to accept the US military’s invitation for the Red Arrows to participate in these special July 4 events in the country’s 250th year,” Vice-Marshal Mark Jackson said in a statement. “The Royal Air Force has a long, proud history of working side-by-side with the Armed Forces of the United States, whether that be on operations and exercises or by joining with other allies as part of NATO,” he added.
“I hope the Red Arrows’ trademark combination of close formation flying, speed, and world-class precision will excite and inspire the hundreds of thousands of people attending these shows.”
British Defense Minister Lord Coaker said the move would demonstrate that the defense relationship “between our nations is built on unparalleled trust, professionalism and shared purpose”. “British and American forces have served together with distinction for generations, and our alliance remains vital to the security of our countries and our allies around the world,” he added.
Interestingly, the Red Arrows also performed a flypast during President Trump’s state visit to the UK last year. On September 17, 2025, the nine red Hawk jets roared over Windsor Castle as part of the ceremonial welcome for Trump’s second state visit. Watched by President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla, the team delivered a precision display complete with patriotic smoke trails alongside a joint UK-US F-35 flypast.
The moment was one of the most striking elements of the high-profile visit and accentuated the enduring ceremonial and operational ties between the two air forces.
This latest US tour builds on that recent collaboration, showcasing the Red Arrows’ world-class precision aerobatics to American audiences even amid recent political friction over naval capabilities. The team, formed in 1964, has a long history of representing British excellence at international events and joint operations with the US military through NATO and bilateral exercises.
“The Red Arrows’ deployment adds a high-visibility, crowd-pleasing element to Britain’s contribution to America’s Semiquincentennial, reinforcing soft-power diplomacy through aerial excellence.
With Agence France-Presse Inputs
