The benefit of one’s local MP being a Minister, is that the MoD Minister must reply to his questions, not some lowly pleb. I was given this by my MP, a statement by Minister for the Armed Forces:
"The design and manufacturing flaws in the Nimrod MRA4 were, in the main, discovered shortly before and immediately after the first aircraft had been delivered and while work was under way to prepare for eventual release to service. The issue with the design of the fuel system, which resulted in the immediate grounding of both complete Nimrod MRA4 aircraft, was discovered during the course of work to verify the BAE Systems aircraft safety case."
One might argue about the timing – MoD was very concerned to assure Minister it didn’t have prior knowledge of these defects, which merely revealed poor implementation of its safety management system. The reply implies that the MRA4 had a completely new fuel system design (which I can’t comment on) and that MoD played no part in mandated design reviews of the previous decade or so (which I can comment on, as staff are permitted to make a false declaration that they have been held successfully, when they have actually been waived). This last has been upheld so many times by Ministers, I’ve lost count!
On 13 October 2010, close to cancellation, an internal MoD report listed examples of the “design quality concerns”. I only have the unclassified part, so presumably there are worse examples than: Bomb Bay doors, Aileron Feel and Trim Unit, Ram Air Turbine, Icing Clearance, Inability to correlate finite element modelling and wing fatigue tests, Hot air pipe in forward intake zone, Inadequate drainage in forward intake zone, HP8 hot air pipe clamp, Nose landing gear, Engine bay firewall, “several hundred” Defence Standard non-compliances. This extract lists only two issues that have been resolved – aerodynamic design and flap hinge failure. Whoever in MOD was faced with the decision would not have got a warm feeling, and it is fairly easy to see why he cancelled. I of course appreciate that this is a one-sided document, but I’m sure MoD would have discussed the content with BAE during the 90 day notice period mentioned earlier.