Modern Elmo, I don't get your point. Yes the Nimrods were all different sizes, but it was sorted out. There is no Airbus peer to the P-8
AFAIK just a few drawings which would be 10 years from service today.
iRaven, not sure those are the MT in SDSR 2010 and RN assets are spread extremely thinly before this week. P-8 has solved many issues recently some by removing the requirement others by throwing lots of cash at them. I'm glad you pointed out it carries less buoys and has less launchers though as that is significant with the extra endurance. The other comment about MRA4 and buoys is just rubbish. You do seem very anti Maritime/Nimrods/Kinloss, if so that's not a dig not everyone loves us, but if not you might want to consider your post slightly more as the news is still a bit raw up here.
B Word, the air environment you describe would only last a day or two in a full on campaign where we would have to be part of an Alliance (most probably with the US) and also not part of the NSC plan. MRA4 has better DASS than many other platforms; I understand the MR2 was the furthest forward RAF aircraft during GW2.
IMHO we could do without half the Typhoon and GR4 force for now, much more than an LRMPA that has a role now every day, MR2 gap was a significant risk and we were trying to bring in as much capability ASAP before IOC.
Once more there is no RPAS/UAS solution, only very poor substitutes for limited parts of the mission. This leads on to Scavenger, it looks like it was only made up in June and is being touted as the replacement of all the lost capabilities, shades of 1957 Defence White Paper? (just replace missile with RPAS/UAS)