SAR Bloke, as I understand it, the aircraft radar is deemed non mission essential. Hence, the occasions that Nimrods are up there mixing it without the radar to spot potential collisions. I describe these procedures as ad hoc because the aircraft radar was never designed to replace TCAS, which is why the radar is not demed essential. A radar used in this way, is blind to several types of potential collision.
Going back to my incident for a moment, I too was deconflicted from coalition aircraft. However you cannot account for incompetence. The US Herc that we almost hit head on was flying at the incorrect flight level for procedural separation promulgated in spins/ATOs. The fighter controllers normally providing a radar service were being used on other higher priority missions. The "controller" I was in communication with might as well have been the cleaner, such was his lack of radar experience.
I made the point about NVGs because we had a fully compatible flight deck, the Nimrod does not. Using NVG spotters in beam windows blinded from 11 to 1 o'clock is hardly a failsafe anti-confliction procedure.
Honestly, I thought we had left all this behind in 2001/02. I am sorry, not everyone sees it the same way. But, I am not surprised, some of the responses on this thread are shocking.
I will further investigate the UOR situation and post any info on this thread.
I have to agree that Nimrod MR2 would appear to be being nursed out of service at minimum cost and with way too much associated risk.