Nimrod Information

[Chugalug2]

Firstly, the MOD is not obliged, under law, to promulgate Safety Cases

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EdSet100, if an MAA is created to regulate UK Military Airworthiness then the MOD will be obliged, under law, to abide by its regulations. Anything less would make a mockery of the system and reduce us to the present situation. No doubt the many challenges of allowing operational commanders the tactical freedoms required by military aviation would be accommodated, but the freedom to skimp on Flight Safety funding in order to bung more money into schools and hospitals in Government marginals would be denied the SoS and his little helpers. Of course mistakes will still be made under an MAA, there will still be incidents and worse still, accidents, but with proper enforcement of Airworthiness Standards they should be fewer, with fewer casualties. The problem here is much greater than the tragedy of XV230, awful though that is, it is the destruction of the MOD based military airworthiness system. It is now just smoke and mirrors, it looks as though it is there, but it isn't, only a mirage. Everybody seems to be angry about this and for good reason, this tragedy and other recent ones were avoidable accidents. The anger of the families is palpable and justified. The anger of the guys and girls who operate and maintain the Nimrod, putting their heart and soul into its vital work, risking their lives on our behalf, only to feel overlooked by the external media hype about 'shortcomings' is natural. Both parties have been betrayed, not by the media, not by the ancient warriors (even those like me who were never on the fleet). They have been betrayed by a system that is rotten to the core. Purporting to be able to ensure the provision of Military Airworthiness it instead ensures the most dangerous commodity of all in aviation; false hope. All the titles, all the processes, all the meetings are in vain because it does not deliver the finished product, airworthy fleets. The cold cynicism with which this farrago has been perpetrated by the MOD is an indictment of the RAF's high command. Having, one hopes, fought and lost the battle to fund airworthiness, they did not do what men of honour should do, resign. Instead they clung to their jobs, their honours, their sinecure futures. Now they must leave under a shadow that they have cast themselves and good riddance, for theirs is the greatest betrayal of all, they have betrayed their own service and the loyal dedicated men and women who serve it!