ToTD - no that hasn't changed although the delay between going through 'Main Gate' - the authority to spend the money - and announcing the preferred bidder is worrying and it keeps slipping right.
500e - the final details of the exact spread of manning are still to be released once the preferred bidder is announced but spreading 66 milpers across 12 flights is not a likely strategy - more likely they will be blobbed up at flights which happen to be on big mil bases eg Culdrose, Valley and Lossiemouth - guess where all the RN guys will be! Theoretically there will be no mil SAR flights but it looks like a few will be top heavy with mil purely for administrative and management reasons. However, they will be flying civilian aircraft with civilian registrations with civilian licences - or so the hot rumours go anyway.
The 24 hour cover will still be there - except at Portland, Chivenor and Boulmer (thanks IPT!) and the MoD official line is that the faster aircraft will allow the 1 hour requirement to be met. Unfortunately most of what comes out of MoD at the moment, where everyone is scared of their own shadow, is disingenuous at best. Our local MP made a nice point that no matter how fast the helicopter, it can't be in 2 places at the same time!