Willow
Is there a gap between what countries want to be able to achieve re SAR and realistic capabilities?
Yes
Is it likely that any sane country is going to attempt to maintain a SAR capability that can rescue mid Atlantic/Indian Ocean etc?
No, because the cost is silly. If you have that kind of money to throw around then spend it on something worthwhile.
In over a hundred years of civil aviation this has happened once. Worldwide SAR cover is unaffordable, in fact beyond 200nm offshore is unaffordable.
There is a price on life, only idiots say otherwise, and sometimes bad
happens.