Delivered as a Nimrod MR.1. Later modified to an MR.2P. Destroyed in a fatal crash into Lake Ontario, Canada while doing a display in 1995.

Nimrods were deployed to Hato for a few months early 2005, in order to fill the gap left by the retirement of Royal Netherlands Navy P-3 Orions. XV254 is returning from a mission with late afternoon light.

Note the lack of wingtip ESWM pods on this MR2, fitted fleet wide eventually.

Seen at a Families Day, parked at dispersal on its home base, RAF Kinloss. Entered service in 1969 as the first of the RAF's operational Nimrod fleet. Suffered a tragic fatal accident after in-flight refuelling on a reconnaissance mission over Afghanistan in 2006, when a fire led to a catastrophic explosion resulting in the loss of all 14 persons on board. The subsequent Inquiry, Inquest and Nimrod Review were severely critical of the Authorities regarding Nimrod safety and airworthiness. In 2009 the MR2 fleet was grounded. Coupled with the axing of the failing MR4 project in 2010, this left the UK with no credible long range maritime reconnaissance / anti submarine capability until the arrival of the Poseidon MRA1 in 2020.

" 25 1969 - 1996" markings on nose.

" 25 1969 - 1996" markings on nose.