As a precautionary measure based on expert technical advice all Nimrods that have not been fitted with replacement fuel seals and engine bay hot air ducts are to temporarily cease flying after 31 March 2009, Minister for the Armed Forces Bob Ainsworth has announced today, Monday 9 March 2009.

This also means that all Nimrods operating overseas will be temporarily withdrawn until early summer. Arrangements have been put in place to ensure that an effective surveillance capability overseas is continued by other UK and coalition assets.

This decision has come about following recommendations to improve the safety of the fleet made by the Board of Inquiry into the tragic loss of 14 personnel as a result of the Nimrod XV230 crash on 2 September 2006.

Following on from this work the Nimrod fleet is currently undergoing modifications to replace a number of fuel seals and the engine bay hot air ducts. These programmes were due to complete by 31 March 2009 but unfortunately, although some aircraft have been fitted with the replacement parts and will continue to fly, problems with the provision of replacement fuel seals mean that both programmes will be delayed beyond that date.

Mr Ainsworth said:

“Our technical experts have advised that in order that the risks involved in operating the aircraft remain tolerable and as low as reasonably practicable, no Nimrods should fly after 31 March 2009, unless their hot air ducts have been replaced. Ministers and the Chief of the Air Staff accept this advice. Delays to the replacement of fuel seals will, however, have no impact on flying since our experts assess that the risk is tolerable.

“For this reason, our priority now is to ensure that we modify the remaining aircraft as quickly as possible so we are temporarily withdrawing Nimrod aircraft from overseas operations until early summer. This will allow us to free up the maximum number of aircraft for the modification programme while also allowing Nimrod to continue with its critical homeland security tasks. During this period we will use other UK and coalition assets to maintain an effective surveillance capability overseas.

“We are also allocating additional Service engineering personnel from RAF Kinloss and RAF Waddington to the modification programme. The reallocation of these personnel will cause a temporary reduction in routine UK-based Nimrod flying but will not affect our ability to protect UK interests at home.

“We have reassessed the situation in the light of these developments and concluded that the Nimrod fleet remains airworthy and safe to fly, subject to the measures outlined above.”

Source: RAF