“Safety of our personnel is of paramount importance. That is why this report is so significant.”

Mr Haddon-Cave was asked to:

• review the arrangements for assuring the airworthiness and safe operation of the Nimrod aircraft over its service life;
• assess where responsibility lies for any failures;
• assess more broadly the process for compiling safety cases, taking into account best practice in the civilian and military world;
• make recommendations.

Mr Ainsworth said:

“In his report, Mr Haddon-Cave has been critical of both the MOD and our industrial partners, at both organisational and individual levels.

“He has stated clearly that the loss of XV230 was preventable.”

Mr Ainsworth went on to say:

“I met Mr Haddon-Cave this morning and we discussed his report. His report identifies numerous weaknesses in the airworthiness system which we will address thoroughly and urgently.

“But he has confirmed to me that his report does not raise concerns over the actual airworthiness of individual fleets.

“And I have been assured by the Chief of the Air Staff and the Defence Chief Airworthiness Engineer that our fleets remain safe to fly.

 

“Mr Haddon-Cave also states that in our pursuit of financial savings the MOD and the RAF allowed their focus on safety to suffer.

“We accept this with regard to the Nimrod XV230. As a department we have a duty to continue to seek efficiencies in how we deliver defence. However I am absolutely clear that this must not be done with any detriment to safety.”

Mr Ainsworth also said that the two officers still serving in the RAF, who are strongly criticised in the report, have been moved to staff posts which have no responsibility for safety and airworthiness, adding:

“The RAF will now consider what further action should be taken in relation to these officers in the light of the evidence uncovered by the report.”

Mr Ainsworth added that the Ministry of Defence will now examine all aspects of the report and produce a full response, updating the House before the Christmas recess.

Mr Ainsworth said that we have not been idle awaiting the outcome of Mr Haddon-Cave’s review:

“We have implemented a comprehensive programme of work to ensure that we have confidence in the safety and airworthiness of the Nimrod aircraft as it is today. This involves implementing the recommendations of the Board of Inquiry, including:

“Ceasing the use of the air-to-air refuelling system, as well as the aircraft’s relevant hot air systems while the aircraft is in flight;

 

An enhanced aircraft maintenance and systems inspection regime;

“I have full confidence in our people carrying out airworthiness duties – but we need to ensure they are supported by an improved process.“Not allowing Nimrod aircraft to fly without having had their engine bay hot air ducts replaced;

“An Ageing Aircraft Systems Audit focused on guaranteeing the safety of Nimrod’s systems for its remaining service life – this included a forensic-level inspection of a Nimrod aircraft.

“We have applied these lessons to other aircraft as necessary, taking steps to examine, review, strengthen and improve the systems for assuring safety and airworthiness.

“We are aware that the implications stretch more broadly across Defence to other items of equipment, so we have also scrutinised our safety management processes and organisation with great care.

“As a demonstration of our commitment to improved safety and airworthiness, we have established a new senior post, that of the Defence Chief Airworthiness Engineer, to provide improved assurance to me that the whole technical airworthiness process, from end-to-end, that is from industry through project teams to the front line, is in accordance with the Department’s regulations.

“Mr Haddon-Cave welcomes this in his report as a step in the right direction.

“We are working hard to ensure we capture lessons from incidents and inquiries to improve our safety. As an organisation the MOD is changing its culture and approach to put safety first.”

“All of these measures ensure that we can continue to fly the Nimrod safely and that it can continue to conduct its essential work in the remaining months of its service life.”

 

 

“Mr Haddon-Cave also states that ‘adequate and timely steps have been, and continue to be, taken by the MOD and the RAF to address the immediate airworthiness issues raised by the loss of XV230 and the BOI [Board of Inquiry] report and subsequent discoveries about the Nimrod fleet’.

“Indeed, the level of scrutiny now applied to the Nimrod fleet is such that it is probably one of the most closely monitored operational military aircraft fleets in the world.”

Mr Ainsworth concluded, saying:

“The Nimrod continues to have an important role in the defence of this country and the current fleets are on current plans very shortly to be replaced by a new aircraft.

“Our Armed Forces are truly the best in the world and we are committed to providing them with all the support they need, including learning the lessons and making the changes for the better if tragedies do occur.

“I say again that the safety of our personnel is of paramount importance. In the case of Nimrod XV230 we failed. We cannot undo this. I will do everything in my power to guard against anything like this happening again.”

 

Source: MOD UK
Picture: Rob Vogelaar, ZAPP Group