There are available now, for instance, support helicopters with British firms, piloted by retired British Services pilots, some of them Special Forces, ready to go forward
So he's saying there are airframes and current crews, sitting around earning $0.00/day just waiting for the call - I don't think so.
Why the fascination with all things SF, anyway? Does Mrs C like him to wear a black balaclava for those "intimate moments"? I think we should be told
HMG politically could not hire in civilian assets - they'd be admitting in public what we all know in private.