The Red Arrows are to carry out a series of displays in the US as part of celebrations to mark America’s 250th anniversary of independence, including an international flypast over New York City on July 4.
The stateside tour will see the world-famous RAF aerobatic team attend events from Maryland to Michigan and Maine to Wisconsin in the coming weeks.
Operation Eagle Hawk, as the visit is being called, officially takes off this weekend with the elite fast-jet flyers performing at an airshow in Baltimore, although a debut flypast over Washington DC was planned for Thursday evening.
The display by the distinctive Hawk aircraft is set to show off the team’s trademark precision formation flying and split-second synchronised stunts, including close-quarter passes at a combined speed of up to 800mph, accompanied by the signature red, white and blue vapour trails.
A show-stopper finale is promised with a manoeuvre called “the cascade”, last flown nearly 30 years ago, which sees the jets pull into a climbing loop to an altitude of around 6,000ft, before breaking like a fireworks display into a cascading formation and roaring back over the crowd.
The Red Arrows, based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, last toured the US in 2019.
The visit, which aims to underline the long-standing vital security relationship between the two countries, comes amid transatlantic tensions over the Iran war and Nato.
The jets had to make the journey to the US in several stages as they only have a maximum range of 750 miles.
The stop-off locations to refuel included Iceland, Greenland and Canada.
The tour by the Red Arrows comes as US President Donald Trump kicked off celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary by hosting a rally on Washington’s National Mall – a park that stretches from Congress to the Lincoln Memorial.
He headlined the Great American State Fair with a campaign-style speech after a series of musical artists pulled out over concerns it had become too political and closely linked to the US president.
The event included a fly-over by a B-2 stealth bomber flanked by fighter jets, music from military bands, and singer Lee Greenwood performing his patriotic anthem God Bless The USA.
Mr Trump told the crowd: “As we stand on the edge of our 250th year of independence, I am thrilled to declare that America is back.”
He added: “Nobody’s laughing at us anymore.”
The president also referred to the ongoing saga over the multimillion-pound restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool near the site of the celebrations, which has been plagued by split liner and algae blooms.
Without providing proof, Mr Trump has blamed the problems on sabotage by vandals, which has led to security being stepped up and a number of arrests.
Critics blame botched repairs and accuse the president of splashing taxpayer cash on vanity projects, including the controversial White House ballroom project.
Opponents also argue he has used the 250th celebration to promote himself rather than bring people together.
Mr Trump announced at the event he would be addressing a Washington rally on July 4 – the day America formally declared its independence from Britain back in 1776 – and said: “Your favourite president will be speaking so please show up.”
