Jim, I'm more than happy to be fair to the Director, he seems to have a good standing among colleagues who have worked there - they still don't pay the guys who do the dangerous and difficult stuff on SAR enough though.
Perhaps I have just seen too many senior officers claim to have 'got it' and then sell you down the river when their careers get prioritised.
Low fat - I am with you regarding the best use of the UAVs but there probably should be some crossover so that surveillance of our waters is a full time activity with drones which could then be re-tasked when conditions and the job suits.
Having a UAV assisting with a search from higher altitude while the helicopter is operating to IAMSAR protocols (usually much lower) will be a useful additional capability but UK weather might preclude that much of the time.