Geoffers - but then we were at war with a whole country (or countries) and trying to defend the UK from invasion - not quite the same as a nation-building exercise in a foreign country where we are defending the populace against terrorists funded by another state. The only similarity is that the politicians are trying to justify our presence there by saying we are protecting the UK from terrorist attack - given that the last series of terrorist attacks have been as a result of invading another country, that position doesn't stand up to much scrutiny.
Back to SAR and regardless of what is happening in Afghanistan, the fact is that the British people and travellers through and across our territory should expect the highest standards of rescue, not the cheapest. A PFI is not the answer and, as I have got bored with saying, whoever flys the SAR cabs should not be doing it for profit. Time to tell the bean-counters to take a hike.