Royal Navy pilot in the US conducts 'Top Gun' flypast during baseball game attended by PM

A Royal Navy pilot on exchange in the USA performed a "Top Gun" style flypast in an F-18 fighter jet, during a baseball match attended by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The Major League Baseball game was held in Washington DC to celebrate US-UK ties.

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Sharp is currently on exchange in the United States and flies with Strike Fighter Squadron 106, also known as the "Gladiators" – a United States Navy F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Squadron stationed in Virginia.

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The British wingman with the callsign 'Drago 52', flew alongside his US colleague, Lieutenant Josh Chester.

According to Strike Fighter Squadron's website, the F-18 jets "were designed for traditional air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refuelling, close air support, forward air control (airborne), air defence suppression and day/night precision strike".

During the match, Mr Sunak watched Washington Nationals take on Arizona Diamondbacks.

Fans were also treated to a military flypast and both God Save the King and the Star Spangled Banner played by Royal Marines and US military bands.

Mr Sunak mingled with players before the game and wore a Nationals jacket as he was cheered onto the pitch – although Nationals Park was far from full.

The ceremonial first pitch at the UK-US Friendship Day was thrown by British Army veteran Stuart Taylor after Downing Street rejected the idea of Mr Sunak throwing the ball in front of thousands of spectators.

"These sorts of things are pitched to us from time to time but, at this event, the first pitch is going to be thrown by Stuart Taylor, who is the CEO of the Allied Forces Foundation," the Prime Minister’s spokesman said.

"That, I think we felt, was the most appropriate way of highlighting the breadth and depth of the UK-US relationship, particularly focusing on service personnel and veterans."

After the pitch, Mr Sunak asked Mr Taylor: "How was that? Quite good, right?"

Earlier this week, Colonel Paul Bates, a British Army officer also serving in the United States, where he works with the Nato military alliance, raised a few laughs when he questioned the Washington Nationals team on some everyday British lingo – leaving a few of them baffled.