Nimrod on wing and a prayer

Britain's Nimrod force - the country's front-line defence against nuclear submarines - is struggling to cope with its duties in the face of job cuts, poor training and low morale, according to the man who commands it.

In a confidential report obtained by the Independent, Group Captain Robert Joseph, the Commanding Officer of RAF Kinloss, Britain's Nimrod base, paints a picture of tired, depressed and overworked personnel and of a "downwards spiral" in experience levels within the maritime air defence force.

The report, marked "restricted", was sent to Air Commodore AE Neal, Chief of Staff at RAF Northwood in Middlesex.

It says that RAF Kinloss, in Grampian, Scotland, achieved only a "marginal" pass in its 1995/96 End of Year Performance Report. Gp Capt Joseph added: "Experience levels on the Nimrod front-line squadrons continue to decline and promised stability is not being realised.

"The early loss of high-quality [technical] operators, combined with high levels of tasking is causing serious concerns about the continued viability and morale of the [three] operational squadrons."

The report was written in February. However, according to operational Nimrod staff, the situation has not improved and the Government's announcement last month of a pounds 2bn programme to provide a force of 21 upgraded Nimrods by 2001 has not raised morale on the base.

"They won't be here for five years but we are labouring with these problems now," said one engineer. "Besides, there is no talk of more personnel. There are times when we simply don't have enough crew to get planes in the air. Senior officers are having to leave their desk jobs and retrain to fill posts on the aircraft so we can go out and patrol. Quite simply, it's no use them promising to give us more toys if there isn't anyone to play with them."

The RAF's 26 Nimrods carry out offshore surveillance duties and monitor the movement of surface shipping and nuclear submarines. The aircraft, built by British Aerospace but based on the old de Havilland Comet 4 airframe, were introduced in 1969. They bristle with hi-tech radar and sonar equipment and carry torpedoes, Harpoon air-to-surface missiles, Sidewinder air-to- air missiles and rocket or cannon pods or mines.

They also enforce shipping blockades thousands of miles from base and regularly supervise air-sea rescues.

However, like all sections of the armed forces, the Nimrod air and ground crews have been cut under the Government's Options for Change initiative. Under that, RAF personnel, numbering more than 90,000 in 1990, will be reduced to 52,200 by 1999. Before the cuts, Britain had 39 Nimrods. Earlier this year, the Independent reported shortages in staff and parts affecting the performance of Britain's Tornado defence and strike forces.

Under the heading "Morale", in a reference to the closure of the only other Nimrod base, at RAF St Mawgan, in Cornwall three years ago, Gp Capt Joseph's report says: "The impact that losing the fourth operational squadron has had on the remaining three squadrons should not be forgotten. Crews now get little respite from search-and-rescue and standby duties, while essential tasks and support commitments invariably involve the reserve squadron and sometimes even the training squadron. Our crews now work very hard all year round, with a constant requirement for them to work unsociable hours and at weekends.

"Over-stretch is still with us and domestic life is clearly suffering as we see the impact of current pressures reflected in increased levels of welfare problems and depressed morale - the latter very rarely seen before on flying units."

He complains of a huge disparity in the numbers of inexperienced, recently trained operators and experienced officers. "You will wish to be aware that all squadrons are currently running at unsatisfactory levels ... with one squadron temporarily fielding nine crews without a single B category [senior] officer between them," he wrote.

Gp Capt Joseph expresses concern that newer crews are not receiving proper training. "Experience levels and, more importantly, ability levels are down and, while we must strive to increase stability, we must also seek to return proven expertise to the front line.

"Modern operations constantly call for maximum crew availability and the squadrons cannot go on meeting that requirement with current manning levels."

Last night John Reid, the Labour Party spokesman for defence, said the report provided official back-up to anecdotal evidence of over-stretch reaching opposition ears.

"If this report is genuine, it is a devastating exposure of over-stretch in the RAF and its effect on morale, welfare and operational effectiveness," he said.

"It gives the lie to what defence ministers have been saying and it confirms absolutely what we in the Labour Party, and the all-party Defence Select Committee, have been saying about the Government's handling of the defence portfolio.

"The effect of cuts in the Army is now glaringly obvious. I suspect this is the first public sign of a similar over-stretch in the RAF." A spokesman for the MoD said the report was written at "at time of uncertainty in the RAF, before final selections for redundancy and the choice for the Nimrod replacement were announced." He continued: "Nimrod 2000 has now been announced and staff have now been informed of redundancy selections ... Reductions in the number of aircraft and personnel following the end of the Cold War have been carefully planned and approved by the Air Force Board. They are consistent with the RAF's commitments and do not compromise on training or flight safety."