El primer Nimrod MRA4 de vigilancia marítima para la RAF ha sido aceptado. Este es el primero de nueve pedidos para cumplir con misiones de vigilancia marítima, inteligencia, adquisición de blancos y reconocimiento. Las primera entrega debía haberse producido anteriormente, pero se ha retrasado debido a restricciones presupuestarias. Estas restricciones han producido la retirada dentro de marzo de 2010, de los Nimrod MR2 de vigilancia marítima existentes, un año antes de lo previsto. Este hecho deja al Reino Unido sin capacidad creíble de vigilancia marítima por al menos dos años. Este vacío está previsto cubrirse con helicópteros y los Hercules C-130. El primer MRA4 operará desde Kinloss, Escocia a finales del verano de 2010. El total de nueve tiene que estar entregado en 2012. Los aviones proceden de células de MR2, con nuevos motores y sistemas de misión.
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The first BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 maritime surveillance aircraft destined for the Royal Air Force has been formally accepted. The aircraft is the first of nine MRA4s ordered to fulfill maritime and wider intelligence surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance roles for the air force here. Handover of the first production aircraft may have taken place but it will be 2012 before the machine is introduced into service following a decision by the government late last year to delay its operational debut in order to help cut Britain's defense equipment overspend.
The decision also involved taking the current Nimrod MR2 surveillance aircraft out of service at the end of this month, 12 months earlier than planned. The move leaves Britain with no credible long-range maritime surveillance capability for about two years.The MR2's exit from service was hurried by a 2006 crash in Afghanistan that killed 14 and raised questions about its safety.
Defense ministers have said the gap between the departure of the MR2 and the arrival of the MRA4 will be covered by helicopters and Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130s. The first MRA4 has moved from the Woodford, England, production facility to BAE's Warton site for RAF crew training. The machine is scheduled to transfer to its main operating base at Kinloss, Scotland, in late summer once an initial release to service and a support contract are in place. The second of the nine production standard MRA4s flew earlier this month and deliveries of the nine aircraft are planned to be complete by 2012. Eight of the aircraft were heavily upgraded MR2 airframes with new engines and missions systems. The ninth aircraft is one of three pre-production aircraft originally upgraded by BAE for test flying. The remaining two test machines will be placed in storage having already retired from the development program.
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