A comment on this:
That said, SAR does provide a high degree of media interest. More than any other tasking, I'd suggest.
It isn't just media interest, it is political capital when you can provide a menu of support to a search and rescue operation in international waters, or to support a nation who is overwhelmed by a maritime catastrophe, or a rapid response is needed in international waters. (As an MPA SAR support to the AF447 crash ...)
It's not just
PR, it's political capital.
==
The rest may not be of interest to MPA or SAR, but Sam needs correcting.
Sam:
The UK is beholden to the USA to maintain our Trident nuclear deterrant. If the USA decided to part company with the UK (Highly likely if Argentina get nasty) then our SSBN's will become ineffective within 12 months or so.
Not even close to true. Where do you come up with this stuff?
There is an imminent US election & Obama will (thankfully) be gone. That will leave a power vacuum, filled by any one of the power mad idiots who can bring in the money. ...
Not quite, Sam.
A. He may well get re-elected, as his opponents are doing his job for him, in terms of self-discrediting. (In that, your "idiots charge" has some merit).
B. But if he does not, our typical replacement of one President with another does NOT create a power vacuum. To describe American pols with the broad brush of "power mad idiots" is only partly true: if you didn't want power, you'd not be a politician. I don't think Romney is an idiot, though a few of the GOP in the hunt leave me unsettled. (Sorry about the derail)
That doesn't influence MPA much, however.
2012 brings severe dangers to the world with the US elections allowing several "good ole' boys" from the deep south to be elected.
Not likely. Santorum and Romney at the moment are looking electable, and Gingrich is hardly a "good ole boy" from the South.
Sadly, this world can do without them.
The world doesn't get a choice, American voters do. Deal with it.
We could, of course, treat them like Bin Laden & ask Mossad to assasinate them before they cause
Good luck with that, Sam, and if your post gets reported to FBI or Secret Service, do you think they'll have a sense of humor about it?
