[U]Force Ale
Your comment is as insulting as it is uninformed. Don't know who you have been talking to but 84 Sqn were never destined to be a Merlin Sqn; they are one of the few if not only truely multi-role rotary Sqn in the RAF.
You can bet they already have a plan waiting to roll if an evacuation is called for, either embarked or self supporting from the Eastern side of the island. If only the bean counters had not insisted on removing the pipework for the overload tanks their endurance would have been even better. Not everyone is on holiday at Akrotiri!!
Rant over, back to reasoned discussion