Nimrod scrapping netted MoD £500,000

The scrapping of nine Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft has generated £500,000 for the Ministry of Defence, it has been revealed.

In a written parliamentary answer to MP Angus Robertson, Defence Equipment Support and Technology Minister Peter Luff said that the MoD paid £500,000 to have the aircraft scrapped and made £1m from their scrap value.

"The Nimrod MRA4 airframes were dismantled on the Ministry of Defence's behalf by Metal and Waste Recycling Ltd at a cost of around £500,000," said Luff. "As part of the contractual arrangements with the company, the MoD received receipts from the sale of the dismantled airframes to the value of just over £1 million.

"We expect to save around £2bn by not bringing Nimrod MRA4 into service."

The cancellation of the £3.6bn project proved controversial when it was announced as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in October 2010, with senior defence figures admitting that the move created risks by removing a capability almost entirely. Maritime surveillance in future would be carried out by a "layered" combination of other existing assets, they insisted.

The £3.6bn of expenditure written off by the MoD when the aircraft were scrapped represented more than half of the £6.3bn total expenditure written off as a result of the SDSR's cuts.

Scottish National Party MP Robertson later said the "paltry" scrap value recouped by the MoD added "insult to injury".

"It has become obvious that the decision to scrap Nimrod was based on cost-cutting rather than strategic needs," he told The Scotsman. "Whether it is national events like the Olympics or everyday missions such as maritime reconnaissance and rescues, there is now a mammoth capability gap and lives are at risk."

An MoD spokesman told the newspaper: "Long overdue and over cost, only one Nimrod aircraft had been delivered. Significant technical difficulties remained and they had not passed airworthiness tests."

"Tough decisions like these have enabled the MoD to balance the budget for the first time in decades and invest in new capabilities to ensure our forces are well equipped for the future."

The House of Commons Defence Select Committee is currently holding a review of the UK's Maritime Surveillance capability and is due to report later this year.