TSM. Before we loose the thread completely with regards to mods states, serviceability and "preferred" airframes, I would like to clarify and/or correct some of the earlier postings.
(1) It was never suggested that the whole Nimrod fleet was at the same "S" state at any given time.That would be too ridiculous to imagine. Some were ready to fly, some had just returned from a mission, others were in deep servicing etc.
(2) When mods were introduced, they were for the fleet. Naturally, it took time to introduce any given mod to all 45 aicraft, so at any given time there were a/c at different mod standards. But there was never a deliberate programme to create fleets within the fleet, and that is what we are talking about at present.
(3) The ground engineers (Flight line and Eng Co-ord) determined which a/c would be presented for the following days programme, based on the specified needs of the squadrons. Of course if you needed ESM or Radar or ......, then the ground force would only offer you an a/c (and a back up) that had those items of equipment in a GO condition. Ops (flying) did not specify "preferred" airframes. If a/c xyz met the requirements, no one ever came back and said it should be a/c abc. You should always remember that it is not just the flying programme that has to be accommodated, but also the maintenance programme. Little point in having a bunch of a/c awaiting deep servicing simply because the squadrons had "preferred" airframes.
Now you can talk about it until you are blue in the face, but that is the way it was because I was there, and I generated aircraft. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line things got changed, and the way I read MH's, postings he would like to return to the ways they were.
DV