Preaching to the converted Widger. I accept you expertise that a C130 will never make a decent MPA aircraft.
I know from my time at MPA that it could make a passable attempt at SAR.
Given a new radar and a palletised Comms cabin to bring it to USCG standard, it could do even better.
Whether the SAR aircraft is run by DfT or MOD will no doubt cause the usual inter departmental p**sing competition, but as far as operators and survivors are concerned, who cares.
Don't get me wrong, I would like the RAF to go back to the good old days of Blue Water anti-submarine capability. I just don't think the money will be forthcoming.