Nimrod fleet grounded

Monday, 9 March 2009 12:00 AM

By Ian Dunt

The government has grounded its entire Nimrod aircraft fleet on safety grounds.

The decision prompted immediate criticism from opposition parties who seized on the action as proof of government incompetence.

"This is in effect an admission by the government that the Nimrod fleet is not safe to fly, and has not been for years," said Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey.

The planes will be grounded at the end of the month unless modifications can be made.

"It also must be asked why it is deemed safe for these aircraft to continue to fly for a moment longer, let alone another three weeks, without the necessary replacement of their hot air ducts," Mr Harvey continued.

The Conservatives accused the government of ducking questions on the matter after the decision was revealed in a statement to parliament.

"The last statement on this matter was an oral statement, enabling members on all sides of the House to question ministers about this vital resource," said Liam Fox, shadow defence secretary.

"The government is avoiding answering awkward questions about when ministers knew that the Nimrod was not fit to fly, and must be held accountable for this decision in parliament."

The Scottish National party's (SNP) Westminster leader Angus Robertson, who represents the Nimrod home base of RAF Kinloss, welcomed the decision.

"Safety must come first and the MoD decision to exercise caution is correct," he said.

"The Nimrod fleet is ageing and these technical problems underline the priority of the aircraft replacement program."

Concerns over the safety performance of Nimrod aircraft have been dogging the government for the last few years.

In September 2006t, 14 military personnel were killed when an RAF Nimrod XV230 crashed in Afghanistan.

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