Jungly - from what's been said, it seems like a good machine for the RN role it was procured for but it still doesn't have a proper role in the SH environment - sure it's a shiny new helicopter but is it any good for the troops; who needs a BFT when you can test the soldiers by getting them to climb the ramp from a wet and muddy field?
The latest rumour is to re-role them to bolster the ailing Sea King fleet in the SAR role - well nobody could see that coming a mile off! But our Merlins are not Cormorants and for the price of the re-role we could probably rent some S61s instead.
As for SABR - it will turn out to be a very expensive and long winded series of committees, sub-committes and steering groups to arrive at the conclusion that we will buy Merlin/Cormorant which everyone knows is the only politically acceptable choice.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude that a mix of long-range and short-range SAR aircraft is the sensible way forward (strangely the same ORBAT as we had with Wessex and Sea King) but the waters get very muddied with the persistent desire to close miltary bases and blob up at unsuitable locations eg Valley.
SAR helicopters are a very long way down the priority list for their airships - if it ain't warfighting it ain't important!
Never mind, in the next round of manpower reductions the Royal Air Force will be turned into the Royal Admin Force with a couple of token aircraft to go to airshows with so the SAR issue will fall to the MCA and Mr Bristow (go on giss-a- job)