On 26/03/2013 23:42, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Nightjar wrote:
On 26/03/2013 16:47, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Nightjar wrote:
HM Coastguard runs the ones around here and AIUI, they will oversee the
new service in much the same way. Personally, in times when the
Services' budget is being cut, I would rather see what money there is
going to equip the troops on the front lines.

As I understood it, they were paid to provide the service.

The problem is that, if they were to continue to do it, they would need
to replace their ageing fleet of helicopters and SAR helicopters are
fairly specialised bits of kit.

And a private contractor gets these for free?


They don't come out of the defence budget at the expense of other things
the Armed Forces need.

Colin Bignell