Basically what Biggus keeps posting +1. I can't add anything worthwhile to the somewhat bleak reality he has nailed down.
As Biggus (and previously, yours truly) has noted, getting a platform is the easiest and cheapest part of restoring a capability lost.
March 31st 2014 will be the four year anniversary of the dark day when the RAF gave up "coastal", maritime, the kipper fleet, call it what you will. A capability introduced circa 1937 and previously deemed essential to our island nation. (note for the semantics out there...31st March 2010 is the date we actually last had an operational aircraft to do the job, so in my book that is when we stopped doing it)
I suggest that anniversary would be a good date to take stock. To see what has gone (almost all of it) and what is left (precious little more than the square root of **** all). I'll do a little research and see what I can come up with.
PS
I do like the expression "sweetcorners" though
