MPs concerned over Nimrod decision

MPs have voiced "serious concern" about the risk to national security caused by the Government's decision to scrap the next generation of Nimrod maritime surveillance aircraft.

The Nimrod MRA4 was cancelled in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review as ministers attempted to fill a £38 billion black hole in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget. The project, designed to replace the Nimrod MR2, was already years late and hundreds of millions of pounds over budget.

A report published by the House of Commons Defence Committee said that the decision has created a "capability gap" in maritime surveillance, leaving the UK dependent on other nations for support.

Although the MoD's own capability investigations have concluded that a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is the solution to the UK's requirements over the next 20 years, there will be no decision on whether to commission such a plane until the next SDSR in 2015, said the report.

The cross-party committee warned that the situation was compounded by the loss of the intelligence-gathering capabilities of four Broadsword-class Type 22 frigates and is likely to get worse with the planned withdrawal of Sea King helicopters in 2016.

Committee chairman James Arbuthnot said: "We are unconvinced that the MoD has the capacity to respond to any escalation in the risks that may appear beyond the UK's shores.Furthermore we believe the risk is likely to worsen in the medium term as further maritime surveillance capabilities are withdrawn or not yet filled."

The committee accused the MoD of sending "mixed messages" over the need for a maritime patrol aircraft like the Nimrod.

"On one hand it says that there is no requirement for such an aircraft and that it is not funded or in the programme but on the other hand it acknowledges that its absence is a risk and something may need to be done," said the report.

Armed forces minister Andrew Robathan said: "UK maritime surveillance is being delivered by a wide range of military assets, including our surface ships, submarines, Merlin and Sea King helicopters, Sentry and Hercules aircraft and we are also co-operating with our allies.

"Tough decisions had to be taken to get the MoD's books back into balance and cancelling the Nimrod MRA4 programme was the right decision."

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.