The MR.2 Nimrod: Past, Purpose, and a Possible Future

Story by Charlie Cumming

photos_by_ch4rlie

Edited by James Martin February February 6th, 2026

Photographs by Charlie Cumming unless specified otherwise

After 15 years on the ground, volunteers at Coventry airport, as part of the XV232 Nimrod Preservation Group, are running out of time to move their beautifully maintained MR.2 Nimrod out of its current location, to a new home at Manston International Airport, UK.

The group has had to begin relocating the Nimrod due to the imminent closure of Coventry Airport in late 2026, in order to build a new manufacturing site - “Greenpower Park”, with future plans to build a large battery gigafactory. This is a joint venture between Coventry City Council, and Coventry Airport, to boost the economy in the local area, with the further promise of new jobs and investment into Coventry's economy.

So, what does this mean for XV232, and what options do the preservation group have left to keep her legacy alive?

What was the Nimrod?

As the first jet-powered Maritime Patrol Aircraft in RAF service, the Nimrod was developed in the 1960s by Hawker Siddley, in order to meet the RAF’s requirement to replace the ageing Shackleton Mk2 which had been a key component of NATO’s submarine detection and monitoring system. The first iteration of the Nimrod, designated MR1, had initially been designed as a stop-gap aircraft, developed from a Hawker Siddeley Comet; as such, the earlier examples of the aircraft consisted largely of Shackleton avionics and components.

Later, between 1975 and 1979, 35 Nimrod MR1s were upgraded to MR2 standard, with key changes including the extensive modernisation of the aircraft’s electronic suite, replacing the radar (which had been used in the Shackleton since the 1950s), as well as the new EMI Searchwater radar, new mission data recorders, and eventually the iconic refueling probe which provided the type with Air-to-Air refuelling capabilities, allowing for longer missions and patrol times.

The Nimrod was deployed in multiple conflicts including the Falklands War, the Gulf war, and the Afghanistan war; all of these deployments acting as a stark reminder of what the MR2 was capable of, with hundreds of missions flown and key assists in sinking countless enemy naval vessels, making it evident that the Nimrod was a living legend of its time.

In 1982, during the Falklands War, XV232 set a world record for the longest distance for a reconnaissance flight at 13,609 km, which took a staggering 18 hours and 50 minutes to complete.

In addition to the Nimrods Maritime reconnaissance ability, the type also featured a large bomb bay on the under side of the fuselage, which in conjunction with armaments including torpedoes and missiles, allowed for a large variety of roles, ranging from search and rescue (SAR) operations, to high altitude photography and ASW missions (Anti Sub-Marine Warfare). The highly adaptable nature of the Nimrod allowed these airframes to stay in service with the RAF up until June 2011, with XV322 touching down at Coventry for her last flight in May of 2010.

What does the closure of Coventry's airport mean for XV232?

The group's initial plan to move XV232 to Newquey, Cornwall, fell through when the proposed museum for the aircraft had to close its doors in 2023, leading to Manston International Airport being chosen as a secondary option.

With the final destination decided, it is now a matter of moving the aircraft, with road transport being the obvious option. It became clear very quickly that the funds required to move the aircraft would not be easy to acquire, with estimates in the ball park of £250,000, whereas the insurance and work required to get the aircraft in the air for a one-off ferry flight would potentially be cheaper than this.

After a final effort to raise funding for a move out of Coventry with an engine run in early January, the group sought help from CCG Commercial to move the aircraft from its grass standing for the past 15 years into a neighbouring hangar, where the CAA will be carrying out a thorough inspection in the near future with the hope of certifying the airframe for flight.

Parts, engineers and possible pilots have been donated from preservation groups up and down the country, showing both the comradery between these groups, as well as the shared goal of saving as many Nimrods from the scrap yard as possible.

With the deadline for a decision becoming ever closer and the CAA inspecting the aircraft, could we see a Nimrod airborne for the first time in 15 years? While we wait with our fingers crossed for good news, whether by flight or by road, we are likely to hear more from the group about this situation in the coming months.

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