Plaid Cymru MP, Jonathan Edwards, said that the £9 million which is spent annually on the Red Arrows would be better spent on military forces.
He said the money, used to maintain the nine-strong flight squad, should be used for soldiers’ equipment instead.
“The question that Tory and Lib Dem MPs must ask themselves is: do they want money spent on a display team that offers no operational use, or do they want to provide the right equipment for soldiers under attack on the front line in what the Deputy Prime Minister himself characterises as an ‘illegal war’?
“If and when we manage to get through the recession the use of Red Arrows could naturally be re-examined.
“However, it would be naive when so many other public services are being cut, and the Welsh budget itself suffering around a £160m hit, that they are excluded from the debate.
“Personally, I think it is money that could be put to better use.”
Figures from the RAF obtained by Mr Edwards reveal the force spent £4.6m on pilots and technicians, £1.2m on aviation fuel, £400,000 on dye, and £2.6m on maintenance in 2009-10.
