We where told that the MRA4 had to fly this year or the contract penalties would be too crippling for BAE, but just in the nick of time found this post on the RAeS web site
"BAE keeps Nimrod flying 10/10/02
BAE Systems has won a £75m maintenance contract to support the RAF’s Nimrod MR2 maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
The six-year contract will require BAE to provide guaranteed levels of Nimrod availability through spares-inclusive maintenance."
Doesn't that take us up to 2008 and how many MR2 airframes are we going to have to lose before someone notices there are more in pieces at BAE that there are servicable on the line at Kinloss