UK confirms reduction of Nimrod MRA.4 order

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has cut by one the number of new-build BAE Systems Nimrod MRA.4 airframes it plans to receive, reducing the pool of aircraft to 11.

An MoD spokesperson confirmed to Jane's on 16 March the change in the previously announced production programme, which sees one of the three development aircraft being recycled into a production aircraft.

In 2006 the ministry decided to reduce its MRA.4 initial order from 12 to nine aircraft and left open the possibility that the three development platforms could be re-used at the end of the flight-test programmes as maritime patrol, special mission or attrition reserve aircraft.

Earlier this year, the MoD reconfirmed its intention to only take nine MRA.4 airframes into Royal Air Force (RAF) service but efforts to re-use the development aircraft as electronic intelligence (ELINT) aircraft came to nothing.

The two remaining development aircraft, which are owned by the MoD, completed the flight-test programme on 9 March and are now stored at BAE Systems' Woodford site to await a decision on their future use. RAF officers have told Jane's they would like them preserved as attrition reserves for the small fleet of operational MRA.4s.