JD ...your dismissal of the MRA4 while containing elements of fact that had a bearing on the development of the aircraft...are too sweeping and in the end wrong. The mission systems had been thoroughly proven, are still world class (tell the Merlin HMA fleet!) and capable against the threats apparent. As with all new aircraft of such complexity, there would have continued to be limitations and development issues...the extended introduction to service time had already resolved many them. In the end HMG decided that all the issues mitigated against taking further political and financial risks despite the major and dangerous hole now apparent in our maritime and nuclear defence. History will say whether such a decision was sensible especially when balanced against the additional expenditure we will eventually incur on the new platforms and sensor systems...whatever they turn out to be!
Not leaving a memorial Nimrod gate guardian at Kinloss remains an outrage!