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| Nimrod aircraft grounded by MoD | Nimrod aircraft grounded by MoD |
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| All Nimrod aircraft that have not had a vital safety modification are to be grounded by the Ministry of Defence, the BBC has learned. | All Nimrod aircraft that have not had a vital safety modification are to be grounded by the Ministry of Defence, the BBC has learned. |
| The Nimrods, all based overseas, will be withdrawn on 31 March in order to replace engine bay hot air ducts. | |
| The MoD has said there will be no impact on operations. | |
| The move follows the deaths of 14 servicemen in a Nimrod crash in 2006. The coroner at their inquest called for the entire fleet to be grounded. | The move follows the deaths of 14 servicemen in a Nimrod crash in 2006. The coroner at their inquest called for the entire fleet to be grounded. |
| The accident, involving an aircraft based at RAF Kinloss in Moray, happened shortly after air-to-air refuelling when leaking fuel came into contact with a hot air pipe. | |
| At the inquest last year, Coroner Andrew Walker said the aircraft had "never been airworthy". | |
| Nimrods currently flying in the UK will be not be affected by the withdrawal, which is expected to last until early summer. | |
| The MoD said there would be no operational impact in Afghanistan because they plan to use other UK and coalition aircraft to cover any shortfall. | |
| But the BBC understands there could be an impact on training in Britain. |