No, not in the least, didn't say anything like this...just put you right about the need for a simulator. I could bang on all day about the recent history of the kipper fleet, but let's live in the present...we are (or seem to be) getting the P8 and it is (or seems to be) going to Lossie. Perfect...no, better than what we have now...by a million miles. I don't know (because I am now purposefully out of the loop) but I would imagine, a ton of work (and money!) and challenges of all sorts, to re-establish this absolutely vital component of our defence capabilities.

A serious question with no ulterior motive; would the new facilities have been needed if we had continued with the Nimrod 4?

GBZ : I think there would have been some changes with the MR4 but I would not be able to tell you what. Some of the other guys on this web site might be able to answer your question. I left regular service in 75, worked on the Mk3 for two point five years and then the VR back on the MR2 from 78 until 94.

ShotOne:
How long is a piece of string. Most of them at Kinloss in the mid 90's were dripping fuel everywhere and I heard quite a few were limited to 55,000 lb. One or two had been lost , there was usually between four to six in Flight sheds at BAe Woodford being converted and chopped about and three were at 51 sqn. I would hazard a guess in answer to your question - at its peak the nimrod fleet could probably field twenty five ish aeroplanes capable of flying with 84,000lb and generating a 9 hr sortie and spread out between Kinloss, StMawgan, Wyton, And Luqa u(the latter until 1977). Maybe Wyton is not part of this question.

It was never going to be anymore than the number of Nimrods that were cancelled, at least on initial order. Can you imagine the conversation " We'd like 15' "But you said you could do the job with 9 Nimrods, and you tell me these are better than the Nimrod"

Although it's interesting to note that 15 airframe serials have apparently been reserved for P-8 (Which means nothing, as there were serials reserved for future C17s that never materialised, but does show some degree of future thinking)

LOADSAMONEY....

Attachment 4856

9 is probably at the upper end of what most would have predicted before the announcement, especially given the many confident predictions beforehand that we wouldn't be buying any. I guess it boils down to what we have acquired the 9 airframes to do, and whether and to what extent they can do it.

5aday,

Boeing will resume 737 production when they have built the P-8's?

Er, NO! Boeing are building 57 737's a month as their best selling aircraft and the US Navy have a commitment to over a hundred P-8's ordered incrementally.
IF the UK wants any more P-8A's then they merely order them through the US FMS system as we ordered the first 9.

Lossiemouth is to become the UK and Norwegian P8 main training and maintenance base - hence the need for a 3 aircraft maintenance hangar (aircraft not undergoing maintenance will be kept outside on the line, just like in the MR2 days) and a full mission flight simulator. It will also be the main P8 logistics centre this side of the pond, and will be see a lot more USN P8 'visitors'. That is the reason that Boeing are putting so much into the project, they are getting the money from more than just the UK procurement.

Only half right pr00ne, the P-8A production line will cease in 2022 with long lead items meaning last orders in the next 12 months. So if the UK want more yes they can order them through the FMS system quite easily, but that window of opportunity is not far from closing.

When the first Royal Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft arrives at RAF Lossiemouth it will be ready to fly with a UK crew on day one thanks in part to a team of RAF personnel embedded with the US Navy.
RAFA report

But where will the crews and engineers live? What with there being no accomodation there now and another Typhoon Sqn coming soon?

There must be some new housing developments up there the RAF can buy up en masse, just like they have in Lincolnshire.

The initial requirement was for 21 Nimrod MR4 which was reduced to 18 in 2002, in 2004 it was reduced 16 but Geoff Hoon stated 12 would suffice and in 2009 it became 9.
It doesn't matter how good an aircraft is it can only be in one place at a time and with Russian military activity increasing more aircraft should be ordered.
unfortunately it is unlikely to happen as neither the Conservatives or Labour are particulary pro defence due to public apathy about defence matters and therefore not a vote winner.

That's sad. My second ATC camp; we were allowed to fire Stens but had to truck to Aldergrove for our Shackleton flight due to re-surfacing at Ballkelly, which finished the day we came home(1963).
OK how about chucking the brown jobs out of Abingdon and using the Beverley hangar then? Was built tall enough so a Beverley fitted in without having to jack the nose up.

Swap them for the Sentinels about to be retired?