Scottish Beefer - I am not denigrating 771 or Gannet (I do hate that SAR heroes bollox) but if 771 and Gannet had not been set up with different primary roles (I am led to believe Gannet was originally about submarine escort and rescue) they would not have been established as stand alone SAR sqns/flts.
22 and 202 Sqn have only one role, SAR - that's it.
I agree that we need to provide a united front but SAR Harmonisation hasn't changed anything so far.
My lords and masters keep saying that the RAF will continue to have a major presence in UKSAR and they do seem serious about it - whether or not that holds any sway with the treasury I don't know, I can only hope but the economic writing would seem to be on the wall.