Good News
The performance of the "allied" crew indeed shows that the skills needed for MPA operations are alive and well, it also shows that it won't be long before funds are found to buy the P-8 in the near future with the MPA task being split between manned and unmanned aircraft.
Those who morn the Nimrod should understand that the cutting up of the new aircraft was nessesary to show BAe that UK PLC was would no longer put up with being ripped off by a company that continually overcharged and underperformed. ( you would have thought BAe would have got the message when they did not get the Buldog life extension program )
My hope is that the RAF will soon have a fleet of P-8's that are built to the US Navy spec with as little UK kit as posable. Then we will have a fighting chance of getting the MPA role filled on time and on budget.