The maritime involvement commenced in the post-war years, as we have seen. However, in December 1950, 120 Squadron arrived at Kinloss; along with 217 Squadron, these were the first front line squadrons to be based at the Station. 120 Squadron was already in Coastal Command and had distinguished itself during the war by claiming more submarines sunk than any other squadron. They were initially equipped with the Lancaster Mk III's but very soon, in 1951, became the first squadron fully operational with the Shackleton Mk I.

Almost as soon as Gp Capt Keddie arrived at Kinloss the new CO was faced with bringing the Neptune into service with 217 Squadron. Then, soon afterwards, the Shackleton Mk I was introduced to service:

'Soon after my arrival...we learned that our second squadron and the entire OCU were to be re-equipped with a new and modern British aircraft. This was really the first aircraft ever designed and built specifically for the Coastal Command role in Britain and we are delighted at the prospect of being re-equipped with the Shackleton anti-submarine patrol aircraft.

On the day of delivery virtually every person on the Station was gathered on the tarmac to watch our new aircraft come in. Half an hour before ETA a message from Bill Deacon (Wing Commander flying, who had test flown the aircraft) was handed to me from the control tower to the effect that the port outer engine of the transiting aircraft had lost oil pressure and was being feathered. landing in 20 minutes on three engines. Exactly on ETA our aircraft appeared over Kinloss. Bill made a low-level cruising pass over the field. We all looked with interest at the port outer propeller standing stationary in its feathered position. I heard a slight increase in power being applied to the other three engines and then saw the aircraft banked into a wide climbing turn against the thrust of the three good engines. In a little time the wheels and flaps dropped into landing configuration and then our new aircraft rolled into a beautiful landing, and came to a stop in front of us. Bill jumped out of the door with a big grin on his face. 'Boys,' he cried 'we've got ourselves an aircraft!' To see this capable experienced pilot so enthusiastic after having had to shut down on of the engines on this new machine was, I felt, a good omen for us, launching into a new phase in the ever-challenging task of surmounting the submarine menace.'

So, despite a somewhat inauspicious arrival, Kinloss had an aircraft for its squadron that was designed with the task in mind and showed signs of being successful. The first 12 aircraft were planned for intensive flying trails by the Station:

'We planned to keep ten of our 12 aircraft flying at all time on ten hour sorties, for 28 consecutive days. Careful scheduling of the required maintenance on the two grounded aircraft was carried on day and night, as was the flying schedule. 'Keep 'em in the air!' became the watchword. The maintenance crews worked like beavers under the skilled and devoted supervision of my Wing Commander engineer, John Fraser, and his deputy Bill Dunlop. With a full complement of aircrew teams available, the flying programme was carried through without undue strain. The aircrew loved the aircraft for the comfort and ease it permitted on long flights and the obvious effectiveness it demonstrated in simulated situations when the wartime capabilities were under test. The intensive flying trials proceeded without a single major hitch during the 28 days to completion.'

Having proved its reliability, the crews were now able to test the Shackleton's endurance. Combined with trials to increase range by flying around centres of pressure, and therefore always with a tailwind, one aircraft reached a point 300 miles of New York to intercept a cruiser carrying Sir Winston Churchill.

The 1950's saw a dramatic change for RAF kinloss. No longer a training base, it was very much a front-line Coastal Command station. The 50's was a period of great change for the world. The west had already perceived a potential enemy in Soviet Russia and the forces as a whole were geared to fight a new war; Western forces were developing the NATO alliance. Aviation had undergone a radical change as technology developed the potential of the jet engine; Kinloss did not yet have jet aircraft on the front line but the decade had seen the introduction of two specific coastal aircraft for anti-submarine warfare - Neptunes and Shackletons. Kinloss aircraft were employed to shadow the Soviet Fleet.