Red Arrows Announce Three New Pilots for 2026
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team has announced three new pilots who will join the Red Arrows for the 2026 display season — including the team’s new commentator and a former RAF Typhoon Display Pilot.
Squadron Leader Stu Roberts will return to the Red Arrows as Red 10, taking on the role of team commentator and ground supervisor, while Flight Lieutenant Matt Brighty and Flight Lieutenant Chris Deen will join the nine-ship formation as Red 2 and Red 3 respectively.
(Left-to-right) Flight Lieutenant Matt Brighty, Squadron Leader Stu Roberts and Flight Lieutenant Christopher Deen.
A new ‘voice’ for the Red Arrows
For Squadron Leader Roberts, the appointment marks a return to the team he once flew with as a display pilot and Synchro Leader. Now stepping into the Red 10 position, he will oversee every practice and public display from the ground, maintaining radio contact with the Team Leader and acting as the voice heard by thousands of spectators at airshows across the country.
Roberts, who joined the RAF in 2009, previously flew the Typhoon on the frontline and later qualified as a Hawk instructor. “I’m really looking forward to getting out with the team,” he said, acknowledging he has “big shoes to fill” after his predecessor’s four years as the familiar voice of the Red Arrows.
In addition to commentary, Roberts will coordinate the team’s display schedule, mentor pilots, assess display sites for safety, and fly the spare aircraft and photo-chase missions — supporting the team’s renowned air-to-air imagery.
Red 2: a familiar face to airshow crowds
Flight Lieutenant Matt Brighty, joining as Red 2, is a familiar name to airshow audiences. The former RAF Typhoon Display Pilot for 2023 brings extensive experience from both the Typhoon and Tornado fleets.
Born in Crawley, West Sussex, Brighty says seeing the Red Arrows as a child inspired his career in aviation: “They were always the highlight of the show, and it was obvious even then that they hold a special place in the British psyche.”
Now flying the Hawk, he describes returning to a simpler jet as “back to pure handling skill.” Without advanced systems or head-up displays, he says, formation aerobatics “demand the highest precision and teamwork.”
Red Arrows at the Malta International Airshow 2025
Red 3: operational skill and international experience
Joining as Red 3, Flight Lieutenant Chris Deen brings both frontline and international experience. Originally from Reading, Deen graduated from Durham University before joining the RAF in 2009. He has flown the Typhoon and completed an exchange tour on the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
Recalling his inspiration, Deen said: “I remember watching the Red Arrows over Falmouth Harbour as a child and being in awe as they skimmed the water and turned around the castle — that memory has stayed with me ever since.”
After narrowly missing selection the previous year, he said being chosen for 2026 left him “buzzing.” He recently returned to the Hawk to prepare for the upcoming training season at RAF Waddington.
Red Arrows Synchro pair at RIAT 2025
Preparing for the 2026 season
Every year, two or three pilots are selected to replace outgoing members, each serving around three years with the team. Candidates must have a minimum of 1,500 fast-jet hours, an above-average flying record, and at least one completed frontline tour.
Following a week-long selection process, the new pilots begin intensive winter training at RAF Waddington, where they will rebuild the 2026 display sequence from the ground up. Over five to six months, they will refine formation spacing and timing before the new display season begins — expected around May 2026, with full details released early in the New Year.
