Oh Dear...it seems to me that the real culprits here..CHC and MCA are hiding under the duvet covers.The fact is that between them they cocked up the spec for equipping the AW139 or at least were gambling on certification of the AFCS with SAR modes being completed earlier than it has.
Common sense would have made sure external equipment selected would be A) up to the job and B) fitted high enough to be clear of soft ground...after all who hasn't seen an S-61 bog down in muddy field conditions.More critically they must have known Certifiaction of the Primus SAR modes was behind schedule as the nights were drawing in but did nothing until the crews protested.
Let's put the fault where it truly lies ,not with the aircraft which performs well in SAR elsewhere, if the right equipoment is selected by the operator ,and not with the crews who know their job and limitations (thank God......read the US EMS reports for crews who didn't ).