Originally Posted by
Clockwork Mouse
PN
The Coastguard/UKBA funding is outside the Defence budget, so no point in the RN/RAF volunteering for the guardroom! Of course any available resources would be offered by either side in a crisis.
CM, while that is of course true, there is precedent for cost sharing between ministries. While it is not incorrect to talk of civil and military tasks it should be borne in mind that a CG and Mil MPA are both State aircraft.
A precedent was set in the 70s when the MAFF and DOE each funded a quantity of Nimrod hours under operation tapestry. IIRC their funding split was 70-30 and this funded 3 Nimrod.
As the Nimrod remained under Military control MAFF and DOE were not entirely happy and indeed the costs to them were higher than a cheaper civilian aircraft, so that confirms your counter argument.
Mine remains however the State was able to enjoy a larger MPA inventory by about 10% which was a useful reserve. Where two organisations with different aircraft, training and capabilties exist then the sum of the parts will add up to less than the whole. As a nation we really can't afford a properly funded maritime force and a coastguard - one or the other but not both.