Roland - I agree re not re-starting that debate. My intention was purely to highlight the notably more positive tone in the words the SoS used.
Party Animal - I'm not sure exactly who the "we" is other than that the MoD is currently conducting an Air ISTAR Optimisation Study (AIOS) and maritime surveillance falls within that. Here's how they described what's currently under way in a Dec 2012 response to the Defence Cttee:
"...The study into Wide Area Maritime Underwater Search (WAMUS) concluded that in the near term the most appropriate solution to a potential underwater surveillance requirement was a manned aircraft, but the Department's longer term objective is to merge as many surveillance requirements as possible into single equipment builds (e.g. radars that can operate in multiple modes and in all environments) and to further refine platform types, capabilities and numbers to achieve maximum effect at minimum cost. As such, those requirements previously covered by the Nimrod MR2/MRA4 capability are now integrated in the Air ISTAR portfolio and work is underway in the form of the AIOS to understand how these requirements can be best covered from the current and planned Air ISTAR Fleet.
The initial findings of the study will be reported to the Military Capability Board (MCB) in April 2013. Those options that appear to merit further investigation will then be developed to inform a MCB Genesis Option Decision Point prior to CSR15/SDSR15.... In the meantime, we have investigated what military off-the-shelf capabilities exist. For comparison, generation of the AIRSEEKER ... will have taken just under five years from the identification of the requirement to reaching Initial Operating Capability. Should the situation warrant it, adoption of off-the-shelf platforms, coupled with the Seedcorn personnel, could establish a capability in significantly less time."