Does it matter when the airframes were built? What we've got is what we've got; the best that is available within the budget constraints of the MOD. The Nimrod MR2 has been flying for a number of years and is the de facto "Gold Standard" for manned airborne reconnaissance, what else should the RAF have aspired to in the current financial environment?
The platform is far more capable than the P-3 ever was, don't believe all the hype about Nimrod v P-3. We're lucky to have been included in the Nimrod club...