Editing Hawker Siddeley Nimrod (section)

===MR1===
{{External media |topic= |width= |float=right |image1=[http://www.singas.co.uk/Charles_Jordan/Nimrod.jpg Circa 1967, Nimrod XV242 taxiing at RAF Changi during the type's test and evaluation phase in the Far East]}}

On 4 June 1964, the British Government issued [[List of Air Ministry specifications|Air Staff Requirement 381]], which sought a replacement for the aging [[Avro Shackleton]] [[maritime patrol aircraft]] of the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF).<ref>Haddon-Cave 2009, pp. 16–17.</ref> Such a replacement had been necessitated by the rapidly-approaching fatigue life limitations accumulated across the Shackleton fleet.<ref>Jefford et al. 2005, p. 87.</ref> A great deal of interest in the requirement was received from both British and foreign manufacturers, who offered aircraft including the [[Lockheed P-3 Orion]], the [[Breguet Atlantic]] and derivatives of the [[Hawker Siddeley Trident]], [[BAC One-Eleven]], [[Vickers VC10]] and [[de Havilland Comet]].<ref name="chartres12">Chartres 1986, p. 12.</ref><ref name="Jefford et al. 2005, p. 131">Jefford et al. 2005, p. 131.</ref> On 2 February 1965, Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] announced the intention to order Hawker Siddeley's maritime patrol version of the Comet, the HS.801 as a replacement for Shackleton Mk 2.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%200384.html |title=Aircraft Decisions: Mr Wilson's Statement |work=Flight International |volume=87 |issue=2918 |page=224 |date=11 February 1965 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731130200/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%200384.html |archive-date=31 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%200849.html |title=The Maritime Comet |work=Flight International |volume=87 |issue=2924 |date=25 March 1965 |pages=465–466 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731124857/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%200849.html |archive-date=31 July 2013}}</ref>{{refn|Following evaluation testing by the RAF, the Vickers VC10 had been identified as highly suitable for the task; however, an initial version of Comet-based Nimrod could be in service within five years, a more capable Nimrod equipped with the envisioned avionics would follow.<ref name="Jefford et al. 2005, p. 131"/>|group=N}}

The Nimrod design was based on the Comet 4 civil airliner which had reached the end of its commercial life (the first two prototype Nimrods, XV148 and XV147, were built from two final unfinished Comet 4C airframes). The Comet's [[turbojet]] engines were replaced by [[Rolls-Royce Spey]] [[turbofan]]s for better [[fuel efficiency]], particularly at the low altitudes required for maritime patrol. Major fuselage changes were made, including an internal weapons bay, an extended nose for radar, a new tail with [[electronic warfare]] (ESM) sensors mounted in a bulky fairing, and a MAD ([[magnetic anomaly detector]]) boom. After the first flight in May 1967, the RAF ordered 46 Nimrod MR1s.<ref name = "Fricker 593">Fricker 1972, p. 593.</ref> The first example ([[Royal Air Force Nimrod XV230|XV230]]) entered service in October 1969.<ref name="neal 119"/> A total of five squadrons using the type were established; four were permanently based in the UK and a fifth was initially based in [[Malta]].<ref name = "neal 119">Neal 1970, p. 119.</ref>