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The Nimrod MR2 was a Maritime Patrol aircraft flown by the Royal Air Force between 1979 and 2011 which was developed by Hawker-Siddeley, a successor to De Havilland.
Development:
In 1975, 35 existing Nimrod MR1s under went an upgrade to the MR2 variant. Electronics were updated (new searchradar, new data recorders for missions and new electronic support measures). During the Falklands war, the MR2 was modified for in-flight refuelling and compatibility to operate the AIM-9 Sidewinder, to destroy Argentine Air Force aircraft. An additional modification took place during the Gulf War, of which a few aircraft were fitted with more ECM equipment, to deal with threats coming from Baathist Iraq. The plane was manned by 2 pilots, 1 flight engineer, 1 route navigator, 1 tactics navigator, 1 air electronics officer, 2 operators of the sonobuoy sensor system and 4 weapons system operators.
Design:
The Nimrod MR2 was the first ever MPA with jet engines (specifically powered by Rolls Royce Spey). This was an improvement over piston powered aircraft, such as its predecessor, the Avro Shackleton in terms of speed and altitude. This in turn made the MR2 more likely to evade submarine detection. All 4 fuel consuming engines were on during flight, in order to reduce weight and the 2 outer engines could be switched off, for more efficient operations. Hydraulics were powered by the 2 inner engines, which was always left on. On Anti-Submarine missions, Reconnaissance data picked up by the crew would be shown to other fellow RAF pilots for striking enemy targets below. Most sensor equipment were placed on the external parts of the Nimrod’s lower fuselage. This included radar, sonar, a sniffer for submarine diesel fumes and the Magnetic Anomaly Detector. These equipments made the MR2 a useful tool in the Cold War. Navigation systems were computer operated and was controlled at a tactical compartment in the forward cabin. Weapons control and infomation coming from the sensors e.g. dopplar radar were received from the tactical station. Flight systems and autopilot were operated by the Navigator at his/her station. The Navigational systems was composed of digital, analogue and electro mechanical components. Navigational Computers were part of most guidance systems. The MR2’s avionics were proved to be one of the most sophisticated during the cold war and therefore justified the retirement of the Avro Shackleton. The bomb bay of the MR2 was designed to carry bombs and torpedoes (including the Stingray torpedo) and the Harpoon missile. 2 pylons were included to carry Martel AGMs and the occasional AIM-9 Sidewinder.
Operations:
The upgraded MR2 first entered service in August 1979 and were based at RAF Kinloss, Scotland and played an important job alerting the Royal Navy and NATO allies of Soviet submarine activity. The MR2 were first deployed to combat in the 1982 Falklands war with Argentina. Patrols around Ancension island was dons in order to guard British Forces from Argentine submarines as well as communications support for Avro Vulcans during Operation Black Buck. The MR2 would replace the original MR1 on patrol operations. 111 missions were flown. The MR2 was also deployed to the Middle East. The 1st time being the Gulf War as the MR2 was used for patrols over the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. They were operated at night in conjuction with US P-3 Orions as well as guiding Westland Lynx helicopters and A-6 Intruders against Iraqi vessels. The MR2 was deployed again for a 2nd time as part of the US invasion of Afghanistan. They were used for intelligence gathering. An unfortunate accident took place over Afghanistan, when a MR2 blew up during a flight due to an onboard fire. All 14 crew members lost their lives. The 2003 Iraq War saw the MR2 being used for a 3rd time in combat. The sensors were used to find Iraqi forces and to help coalition forces initiate attacks. The MR2 was withdrawn from service in 2011.
Specifications:
Crew: 13
Capacity: 13,500 lb (6,123 kg)
Length: 126 ft 9 in (38.63 m)
Wingspan: 114 ft 10 in (35.00 m)
Height: 31 ft (9.4 m)
Wing area: 2,121.03 sq ft (197.050 m2)
Empty weight: 86,000 lb (39,009 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 192,000 lb (87,090 kg)
Fuel capacity: 85,840 lb (38,936 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines, 12,160 lbf (54.1 kN) thrust each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 500 kn (580 mph, 930 km/h)
Cruise speed: 426 kn (490 mph, 789 km/h)
Range: 4,501–5,001 nmi (5,180–5,755 mi, 8,336–9,262 km)
Service ceiling: 43,999 ft (13,411 m)
Armament:
Hardpoints: 2× under-wing pylon stations and an internal bomb bay with a capacity of 20,000 lb (9,100 kg), with provisions to carry combinations of:
Air-to-air missile:
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder (non-standard in RAF service, only mounted on the MR2 during the Falklands War)
Air-to-surface missile:
Nord AS.12
Martel missile
AGM-65 Maverick
AGM-84 Harpoon
Others:
Mk 46 Torpedoes
General Purpose bombs
BL755 Cluster bombs
Sources:
https://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/heritage/hawker-siddeley-nimrod
