In reply to UKH News: Small points, but points none the less:
As stated earlier, we in the forces love to ignore rules to maintain our "can do" ethic. (just have a look at our successes abroad whilst undermanned, underfunded and undermined by the last government)
Will those working for a private company be able to do this?
Also, the drafts to S&R units provide "broadening billets" for our aircrew and pilots. This improves their skill level and also allows a change of pace from the "front line operations" that everyone assumes we must want to be deployed on 365 days a year. If you are a temporarily jaded pilot with no option other than yet another Afghanistan tour, then you will simply leave.
It maintains a broader footprint in the UK allowing people the option of a draft closer to an area of their choice (Without S&R the Fleet Air Arm will pretty much exist only in Somerset in a few years)
S&R provides vital PR for the military. What could be a better advert than a great big, brightly coloured helicopter saving peoples lives... for FREE.
The military has pilots, aircrew, AET's, aircraft handlers, drivers, atc, medics and everyone else needed to operate aircraft already in their employ, necessarily awaiting times of need for warfare. Why not utilise these people on such a worthy cause? ... Still, as with the SERCO maintenace debacle, the private company will simply offer them a small pay rise and they will all leave and work for them instead, leaving another recruiting crisis.
IMHO this is an absolutely terrible idea and smacks of short term cost cutting.
Replace Sea King, give us a cutting edge Fleet Air Arm and watch the savings as the military continue to do what they do without needing to be "profit making"
sorry for rambling.