Extra cost to the taxpayer = zero, it was done at the beginning of a training sortie and took a whole 5 mins out of a 2 hour SAR training sortie.
Value to the Military fraternity = lots as it was a request from the Royal Marines who have been working very hard sandy side.
The Daily Mirror had a photographer on scene so they must have been tipped off by some well-meaning idiot who can't see the wood for the trees.
They would be better off questioning why the 'one-eyed Scottish idiot', to quote J Clarkson, had to waste thousands of taxpayers money just so he could preen himself on the international stage instead of sorting out the mess he and his govt have made of this country.