The last 2 Nimrod R1s retired on June 29/11 at RAF … Given that its primary role is to do with the deterrent, of which it is one of five layers that do that sort of thing-I am choosing my words clumsily but deliberately-the view was that it was a risk that was acceptable, and we have all signed up to that. The easiest way to tell the difference is to look at the tail; if it has a short tail beyond the rudder, it’s an R1 ELINT/SIGNIT version. There have also been questions about how the new Trident submarines can operate secretly without the help of Nimrods.”That has touched off a campaign to avoid the double closure, but Kinloss doesn’t seem poised to benefit. General Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff, said the move to cancel the Nimrod MRA4 had not been taken lightly.Work on scrapping the nine planes began in Greater Manchester on Wednesday.The letter's author, Air Vice Marshal Tony Mason, former air secretary to the RAF, said short-term cost cutting had been put ahead of long-term strategic needs.He told the BBC: "My concern was not just that this exceptionally important programme had been cancelled for good but the total absence of reference to this strategic gap in our defences. Delivery of the first production aircraft to RAF Kinloss was ready to go, and the first Nimrod MRA4 was expected to enter service around 2012, when the roof fell in. As the British MoD put it: “The ability of the Nimrod to loiter for long periods, following a high-speed dash to the required area of operation, make the aircraft ideally suited to this task.”The British MoD maintained that approximately 1,000 jobs were associated with the Nimrod MRA4 modification program. “In a written answer to Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson, defence minister Peter Luff said that one of the MR4A maritime reconnaissance aircraft was ready, three were more than 90 per cent complete and the other five were at least 40 per cent complete. If it does not, the MoD should withdraw from this programme.Since the DE&S Chief Operating Officer, Mr Gould, told us that the problems being experienced on the Nimrod MRA4 programme were not considered unusual, that they had been experienced on the MRA2 programme and that “it was predictable”, we are deeply concerned that they nevertheless seem to have come as such a surprise to the MoD… We accept his contention that, because of the long gap between the MRA2 conversion programme and the MRA4 programme, some 20 years, the experience from the earlier programme had been lost, but we are disappointed that this had not been recognised at a much earlier stage of the programme… This is a programme that has been beset by one problem after another and neither the MoD nor the contractor appears to be able to get a grip on it.”It’s an aspect of aircraft certification that is common but rarely described; DID thought our readers would find The release of sonobouys has already proved successful, with future testing programmed for further checks of the torpedoes and the release of light series stores and search and rescue equipment.
The Shackleton was also approaching the twilight of its RAF maritime career as its replacement — by now named Nimrod — made its maiden flight on 23 May 1967. They were replaced with a highly sophisticated and sensitive suite of systems used for reconnaissance and the gathering of electronic intelligence. Project Extract replaced manual collection systems with automated collection equipment, and added other hardware and software enhancements.Its follow-on, Project HELIX, was a multi-stage acquisition program aimed at maintaining the effectiveness of the Nimrod R1 fleet out to 2025. The paper has inaccurately reported the comments made by Air Vice-Marshal Mark Green… answering a hypothetical… about which aircraft the MOD would look to buy if it was felt a replacement was required. Both would also face difficult replacement programs, with the USA canceling the P-7 and eventually settling on the Instead of buying a new aircraft type, Britain saw its challenge as renewing its Nimrod fleet. Boeing's P-8 Poseidon jet is seen as the most likely Nimrod replacement. The program had a projected value in excess of GBP 400 million (approximately $700 million) over a 13-year period.The first part of the assessment phase lasted for 9 months, followed by a down-select from L-3, Lockheed, and Northrop-Grumman to two contractors (L-3 and Lockheed) for a requirements and system stage in 2005. Transfer to the aircraft’s future main operating base at RAF Kinloss is expected in late summer 2010, once an initial release to service and a support contract are in place. Britain flew 2 versions of the Nimrod: the maritime patrol & surveillance Nimrod MR2 version, and the Nimrod R1 Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) aircraft.
The RC-135 is indeed replacing some Nimrods, but Project Airseeker will replace the Nimrod R1 electronic eavesdropping planes, not maritime patrol aircraft. Tough going for Britain without Maritime Patrol planes.“The admission comes weeks after RAF chiefs warned the Government that the lack of maritme [sic] patrol aircraft meant if an airliner disappeared near the UK in similar circumstances to the Malaysian MH370 jet, Britain would not have the planes to find it…. ... using a similar arrangement to the one that saw the RAF equipped with C-17 transport aircraft made by the company. These aircraft function as intelligence collectors, communications relays, and more, and are viewed as a critical component of the UK MoD’s future “Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR)” capability along with key UAV programs like Despite their age, and the eventual replacement of the Nimrod MR2s by the MRA4, the RAF’s 3 Nimrod R1s were scheduled to remain in service until at least 2012. Established competitors include EADS’ CN-235 Persuader, C-295 MPA, ATR-42 MP, and ATR-72 ASW turboprops; and Embraer’s P-99 MP jet.