Maybe part of the question should be why does the airforce carry out the SAR task anyway as nearly all the rescues are related to civvy incidents.
Purloining info from the Meteor thread on the military forum the following figures are representative of the number of aircraft and lives lost by the airforce since the war in non combat related accidents.
1946....1014 a/c....677 fatalities
1956.....270..........150
1966.....62............33
1976.....33............20
1986.....19............10
1996.....21............2
2000's average 8 aircraft a year
Having a dedicated SAR when the airforce lost more aircraft in accidents than they have on strength today made sense.
However the military justification for a SAR capability in home waters no longer exists.
I would like to see a dedicated combat rescue helicopter purchased for military use.
It might save the marines having to go into action lashed to the sides of Apache's.
This might also get the SH people to take the SAR a little more seriously.