Nimrod MRA.4
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: 1 Dunghill Mansions, Putney
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Av Leak must have used a grasshopper to break Private Pike. 
I/C
Safety Grounding
Aviation Week & Space Technology Oct 18, 2010
A halt in U.K. Royal Air Force Nimrod MRA4 flight operations owing to safety concerns is expected to last at least several more weeks. The project team and type airworthiness authority of the Defense Ministry identified a “potential safety issue” with the aircraft that is expected to take at least four weeks to rectify. The issue, which the ministry will not further identify, was recognized during its assessment of the MRA4 before being released into service.
Aviation Week & Space Technology Oct 18, 2010
A halt in U.K. Royal Air Force Nimrod MRA4 flight operations owing to safety concerns is expected to last at least several more weeks. The project team and type airworthiness authority of the Defense Ministry identified a “potential safety issue” with the aircraft that is expected to take at least four weeks to rectify. The issue, which the ministry will not further identify, was recognized during its assessment of the MRA4 before being released into service.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Banished (twice) to the pointless forest
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Gosh, this is exciting stuff. Who would have thought that after such a long time in development, there might still be something that the engineers don't know about the Nimrod?
Maybe this safety issue would not have come up at the last minute if the people at Warton had taken their time instead of rushing the Nimrod 2000 into service....err...or something like that.
Or.....is this just a way for HMG to say it is crap and we are not buying it, give us our money back, oh and by the way, we don't want a replacement as, in a strange coincidence, we have decided we don't need / can't afford one
Maybe this safety issue would not have come up at the last minute if the people at Warton had taken their time instead of rushing the Nimrod 2000 into service....err...or something like that.
Or.....is this just a way for HMG to say it is crap and we are not buying it, give us our money back, oh and by the way, we don't want a replacement as, in a strange coincidence, we have decided we don't need / can't afford one
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Only time will tell if we don't need the capability, but I suspect that the time will be when something is compromised or lost as a result of no LRMP. There's no doubt that the capability gap we have had, and are enduring, along with the small number of frames on order have made the Bean counters' decision somewhat easier but the thought of having no "real" ASW/MCT/ASuW/SAR capability completely bamboozles me.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: St Annes
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instead of rushing the Nimrod 2000 into service
Here's hoping the saftey issue is relatively easily dealt with - and I don't mean by cut and pasting this time round. Still looking forward to being woken up as MRA4 rattles my roof tiles.
BTW - If Andy Lawson is on here, I was in a local toyshop (Elgin) an hour ago and saw an add-on for the Airfix Nimrod model, a set of transfers (for a modest £13.50) that included the decals for 46 as per the Fincastle comp back in 81 (?) Your CXX/6 Falcon tailbadge looks good, even in 1/72 scale.
Join Date: Mar 2010
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So Long...
Well, the leaking has started.
BBC Scotland
BBC News - Concern over defence cuts impact on RAF bases
The BBC also understands that the Nimrod MRA4, the replacement for the ageing Nimrod, may not go ahead - which would cast a serious cloud over RAF Kinloss.
Oh well, I'm out of a job then. Wonder where I will be posted since I have less than 2 years to my exit date?
Frustrated.... If not now then i'm sure I soon will be.
BBC Scotland
BBC News - Concern over defence cuts impact on RAF bases
The BBC also understands that the Nimrod MRA4, the replacement for the ageing Nimrod, may not go ahead - which would cast a serious cloud over RAF Kinloss.
Oh well, I'm out of a job then. Wonder where I will be posted since I have less than 2 years to my exit date?
Frustrated.... If not now then i'm sure I soon will be.
Join Date: Sep 2005
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If you READ the article, it doesn't actually say anything... MRA4 MAY be binned, and the Harrier force MIGHT be scrapped, some tornadoes COULD be saved...
Entire article of guess work.
Entire article of guess work.
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Oh well, I'm out of a job then. Wonder where I will be posted since I have less than 2 years to my exit date?
Frustrated.... If not now then i'm sure I soon will be.
Frustrated.... If not now then i'm sure I soon will be.
Surely if you have less than two years to do you are into the resettlement process and planning your next career. What difference does it make to you personally if the MRA4 comes in or not - you'd not be on it anyway if you are out in that timescale. As to your final tour...two years gardening leave should aid the resettlement shouldn't it?
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Well, a posting may thake me away from the area I want to settle in thereby denying the networking to find a new job. It may also take me away from the family as there is no point in moving them for less than 2 years etc
You see my train of thought?
Frustrated....
You see my train of thought?
Frustrated....
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Joe Black
"but the thought of having no "real" ASW/MCT/ASuW/SAR capability completely bamboozles me."
Erm....
ASW - Merlin may not have the range/speed, but it certainly has the capabilities.
MCT - You are having a laugh. loads of superior platforms for all Nimrod MCT tasks.
ASuW - Just remind me how many warships have been sunk by Nimrod. Now how many by the little Lynx?
SAR - No, you do "S". The SeaKing does all the SAR
"but the thought of having no "real" ASW/MCT/ASuW/SAR capability completely bamboozles me."
Erm....
ASW - Merlin may not have the range/speed, but it certainly has the capabilities.
MCT - You are having a laugh. loads of superior platforms for all Nimrod MCT tasks.
ASuW - Just remind me how many warships have been sunk by Nimrod. Now how many by the little Lynx?
SAR - No, you do "S". The SeaKing does all the SAR
Tourist
For once you seem to to be the one having a laugh:
Just as long as you have a ship close by to do it from and you don't want to track anything say in the Shetland Faroes Gap!!
Name one! You blatantly don't know what you are talking about.
Wrong again. Sea King does all the SAR within 200 nms of the coastline. Nimrod did all the SAR at anything beyond that (except tanked Jolly green Giants and we don't have any of them).
For once you seem to to be the one having a laugh:
ASW - Merlin may not have the range/speed, but it certainly has the capabilities.
MCT - You are having a laugh. loads of superior platforms for all Nimrod MCT tasks.
SAR - No, you do "S". The SeaKing does all the SAR
Tourist
You're having a laugh fella!
ASW - if you want a long-range SurPic with an ability to ID without AIS cooperation (transponders for ships in simple terms), then there isn't much else. Stingray torpedos help with the warfare bit as well!
MCT - so just how do terrorists get guns, explosives and ammo into the UK from abroad then? How do you vector and monitor the good guys actioning the bad guys that are doing stuff like this? Who is going to provide the over-the-horizon comms and C2?
ASuW - you may not have noticed but our independent deterrent is carried in submarines that need protecting from hostile "hunter-killer" submarines. These need 24/7 protection and all the bad guys need tracking as soon as they become a threat. Depth charges and torpedos are pretty handy if their needed in a hurry.
SAR - Yes they do the 'AR' as well as the 'S'. Here is why: "An aircraft is kept available for search and rescue tasks, primarily for downed military aircrew and military maritime incidents, although Nimrods are tasked by the Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre to attend many civil incidents. In this role the aircraft has a selection of multi-seat dinghies and survival packs that can be delivered from the air. The Nimrod routinely operates over the sea down to 200ft, but is limited to 300ft at night or in bad weather." - I would very much welcome a rescue of this kind from a Nimrod if I was bobbing around in the og-splosh outside of the range of a helicopter.
By the way, I'm not a Nimrod mate, never have been, but even a blinkered fast jet mate like me can see the value of the Nimrod (or another MPA like the P-8, which has the MRA4 kit inside it).
LJ
You're having a laugh fella!
ASW - if you want a long-range SurPic with an ability to ID without AIS cooperation (transponders for ships in simple terms), then there isn't much else. Stingray torpedos help with the warfare bit as well!
MCT - so just how do terrorists get guns, explosives and ammo into the UK from abroad then? How do you vector and monitor the good guys actioning the bad guys that are doing stuff like this? Who is going to provide the over-the-horizon comms and C2?
ASuW - you may not have noticed but our independent deterrent is carried in submarines that need protecting from hostile "hunter-killer" submarines. These need 24/7 protection and all the bad guys need tracking as soon as they become a threat. Depth charges and torpedos are pretty handy if their needed in a hurry.
SAR - Yes they do the 'AR' as well as the 'S'. Here is why: "An aircraft is kept available for search and rescue tasks, primarily for downed military aircrew and military maritime incidents, although Nimrods are tasked by the Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre to attend many civil incidents. In this role the aircraft has a selection of multi-seat dinghies and survival packs that can be delivered from the air. The Nimrod routinely operates over the sea down to 200ft, but is limited to 300ft at night or in bad weather." - I would very much welcome a rescue of this kind from a Nimrod if I was bobbing around in the og-splosh outside of the range of a helicopter.
By the way, I'm not a Nimrod mate, never have been, but even a blinkered fast jet mate like me can see the value of the Nimrod (or another MPA like the P-8, which has the MRA4 kit inside it).
LJ
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Nimrod done a lot of stuff that was never ever mentioned in the press. I know we are not allowed to say things due to Opsec and stuff but if the positive press side had been more before 2/9/06 then I think things might be so different today. Either way the stigma is attatched to whatever MRA4 does now.
I just feel the Nimrod has been let down by the powers above , very similar to many who serve today.
I just feel the Nimrod has been let down by the powers above , very similar to many who serve today.
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Just to chip in ....
The British military can provide the means to rescue Russian military personnel from a mini submarine off Vladivostok somewhere, half a world away, yet it is being suggested that the British military only provide helichopter support for our own, or, people nearer to home?
Correct me if I am wrong, I did get a looksie inside a Nimrod 'bomb bay' back in the 1970's, regardless of 'search' does it not also carry 'rescue' equipment to be dropped if need be?
The British military can provide the means to rescue Russian military personnel from a mini submarine off Vladivostok somewhere, half a world away, yet it is being suggested that the British military only provide helichopter support for our own, or, people nearer to home?
Correct me if I am wrong, I did get a looksie inside a Nimrod 'bomb bay' back in the 1970's, regardless of 'search' does it not also carry 'rescue' equipment to be dropped if need be?
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It frightens me somewhat, accidents happen, that a British airliner, at some stage, will come down, let's say, mid Atlantic, the Yanks, Icelandic's etc. will be launching their search aircraft, what are the Brits going to launch, a Bristows Chopper?
Bring back the Shackleton, that's wot I say.
Bring back the Shackleton, that's wot I say.
Correct me if I am wrong, I did get a looksie inside a Nimrod 'bomb bay' back in the 1970's, regardless of 'search' does it not also carry 'rescue' equipment to be dropped if need be?