In short, UK retires the Nimrod MR.2 in March 2010, and it must wait to 2012 to see the Nimrod MRA.4 in service. A two year gap without ASW nor maritime patrol aircrafts, bad thing for a insular state:

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=112034 (in french)

http://australianaviation.com.au/uk-brings...mr2-retirement/

Some relevant excerpts of the Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker-Siddeley_Nimrod :

The initial in-service date for the MRA4 was scheduled for April 2003

By the time of the maiden flight of the first production aircraft, on 10 September 2009[12], the number of MRA4s to be delivered had been reduced from 21 to 9, making the cost per aircraft quadruple that of the original estimate. Each MRA4 will cost UK taxpayers at least £400m (USD660m at August 2009 rates). This has been equated to the cost of three Nimrod MRA4s to one NASA Space Shuttle

On 15 December 2009, the Ministry of Defence announced that the introduction to service of the Nimrod MRA4 will be delayed until 2012 as part of wide-ranging defence spending cuts

The MRA4 program has not gone at all the way they had hoped. Fortunately, the local sub threat has also diminished. This doesn't do much for the overseas mission, or for maritime patrol generally, of course.

The MRA4 program has not gone at all the way they had hoped. Fortunately, the local sub threat has also diminished. This doesn't do much for the overseas mission, or for maritime patrol generally, of course.

 

A lot of the high-tech stuff is being cut back in favour of a populist helicopter procurement strategy.

A lot of the high-tech stuff is being cut back in favour of a populist helicopter procurement strategy.

 

Yes, I've noticed that.

 

Helicopters are kinda large on the radar screen (no pun intended) around here too, lately, in the wake of the tragic S-92 crash last March and the ongoing inquiry into search & rescue services for our offshore industry.