National Disgrace
What were the planners thinking? An ISTAR triad without a Sea King? Disgraceful. Sea Kings come under AO ISTAR => ISTAR asset.
The Sea King is the RAF's only true swing-role asset: ISTAR and SAR. This was ably demonstrated last year in the Falklands when a Sea King crew, taking part in a night-time exercise, successfully used the IR camera to direct the QRF (which it had dropped off moments earlier) into a blue-on-blue with another patrol...and was then called in for casevac! Priceless, many red faces all round...