France's answer to the Red Arrows line up at Lossie en route to US celebration

Patrouille de France – the French Air & Space Force's aerobatic display team – have landed at RAF Lossiemouth on their way to the United States for a major celebration.

The team, who are based at Salon-de-Provence air base in southern France, stopped off in the Highlands ahead of crossing the Atlantic.

The team, who operate the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet, are travelling to the US to take part in the 250th anniversary celebrations of the Declaration of Independence.

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Flying for Liberté

During their tour, which is called Operation Liberté 250, they will perform a flyover of the Statue of Liberty in New York and make a low-altitude pass in Washington DC.

They will also fly over Pennsylvania State House – now called Independence Hall – the birthplace of the declaration in Philadelphia.

Patrouille de France will also perform at airshows in Maryland before taking part in a combined air and sea parade back in New York.

International assistance dating back 250 years

One of the pilots, identified only as Captain Jason, said: "We want the American people to see what we can do with our Alpha Jets – and I think they'll love it.

"We helped them 250 years ago – we remember they helped us during World War One, World War Two.

"So we are there to thank them as well and for all the things that they have been done since World War One and World War Two."

An Atlas A400M will be supporting the 85 pilots and ground crew who will be taking part in the deployment over the summer.

Alpha Jet and the Hawk

Patrouille de France and the Red Arrows both usually operate nine aircraft – and the types are remarkably similar.

Like the Reds' Hawk, the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is an advanced trainer that can be used in the light attack role.

Its first flight was in 1973 and the Alpha Jet entered service in 1977.

However, unlike the Hawk T2 – the Red Arrows operate the older T1 variant – the French Air & Space Force no longer flies the Alpha Jet in the advanced trainer role.

Instead, in addition to serving with Patrouille de France, the Alpha Jet is used as an aggressor aircraft, playing the enemy during air-to-air combat training.