Nimrod Gap

I do wonder if the key problem in the loss of the Nimrod was the inability to explain the importance of the aircraft in relatively simple and coherent terms.

Former British military chiefs said Jan. 27 the scrapping of a fleet of Nimrod surveillance aircraft will create a "massive security gap" and leave Britain's Trident nuclear submarines vulnerable.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, they said the decision to shelve the program for nine MRA4 Nimrods to save money is "perverse" and could inflict serious long-term damage to Britain's interests.

Ministers took the decision last year to scrap the 4 billion pound ($6.4 billion, 4.6 billion euro) fleet of planes, the latest version of the veteran sub-hunter, as part of deep defense cuts.

The Nimrods can detect and sink submarines and play a key role in drug-smuggling and counter-terrorism operations.

I also suspect that the division of ASW responsibilities between the RAF and the RN helped undermine advocacy efforts for the aircraft.