13 January 2026
The new Officer Commanding of the Red Arrows is Wing Commander Sasha Nash, the first woman to be appointed to the role.
As Officer Commanding (the RAF’s peculiar way of saying Commanding Officer), Wg Cdr Nash commands the entire 150-strong Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT), including air and ground crew. She succeeds Wg Cdr Adam Collins, who has just completed a successful three-year tour.
Wg Cdr Nash joined the Royal Air Force in 2005 and is an experienced fast-jet pilot. She flew the RAF’s Tornado GR4 on the frontline and in exercises worldwide. Previous roles include Chief of Staff in the Display Wing Headquarters, working alongside the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Red Arrows.
Wg Cdr Sasha Nash leads the entire Red Arrows team including the ‘Blues’ support staff. Photo: RAF
“This is a career opportunity of a lifetime – if someone had told me, 20 years ago, that one day I’d be Officer Commanding of the Red Arrows, I don’t think I would have believed it,” said Wg Cdr Nash.
“This is a team of dedicated, diligent and enthusiastic people – exemplifying the ethos and values found in units right across the RAF – and I’m excited to work with them to continue to deliver the levels of excellence the Red Arrows are globally renowned for.”
Training for the new season is already underway and is managed by Red 1 – the pilot who leads the team in the air and designs the aerobatic show. The first public events of the summer are usually staged in late May or early June.
Paying tribute to her predecessor, Wg Cdr Nash said: “I’ve worked alongside Adam over the last couple of years and witnessed, firsthand, his utter dedication to both the team and the RAF as well as his immense wealth of display knowledge and commitment to all that the Red Arrows represent.”
The Red Arrows’ 60th season was celebrated in 2024 – a highlight of Wg Cdr Collins’ time as OC RAFAT.
“The challenges of maintaining and operating the Red Arrows’ Hawk T1 are very different from that of an F-35 or an A400,” he said.
“Whether we are training or displaying for the public, we are routinely launching nine or more aircraft simultaneously, three or four times per day, often away from our home base.”
Although Wg Cdr Nash is the Reds’ first female boss, Flt Lt Kirsty Murphy was the first woman to join the team as a pilot in 2010. Kirsty was on the FLYER Livestream in March 2021. Watch it here.
