Jim - not sure how development of role equipment over the years is even slightly pertinent to not having NVG capability or enough paramedics in one of the busiest times of the year.
For instance, flying on NVG was introduced in half the UK SAR fleet in 1993 and will be introduced for the entire UK SAR fleet by July 2017 (with the base that probably needs it most being last). British efficiency shining through again.
On paramedics, it has been discussed at some length previously on this site whether this is the one of the essentials of SAR, since SAR is not Big HEMS. As with NVG, the previous developments in this area have not been either uniform or subject to fleet-wide planning.
I suggest that once a complete fleet is rolled out there will be a sufficient pool of trained aircrew available that such events will be very rare indeed during most of this contract. That situation does not yet exist.
I know it will get sorted - because it has to - but it is disgraceful that the new service is being stood up without being as capable as the old one - all very forseeable.
Disgraceful?
Unfortunate.
As for the aircraft - the 139 was supposed to be the all singing and dancing SAR aircraft with low down-time - right up to the point it was introduced to the maritime environment and flying hours at SARTU and promptly started breaking and corroding.
I hear you. Not AW's finest hour and there are repeat performances of a few of the problems currently in progress. However, AW189 arrives as we reach one million AW139 hours and examples breaking the ten thousand mark with the 700 examples flying around the world, including a significant SAR population, showing what an unproven aircraft it is.
When the number of S92 hours flown in UK SAR is up to the same as the Sea King flew on an 'almost' constant basis, you can start crowing about the new aircraft.
I don't like everything about the S-92 but it is a sound aircraft that has been in successful SAR service in the UK since 2007. There are no indications that anyone blinked when the customer asked for 98% availability on this contract. As far as I am aware all the main players intended to operate with one or two spare aircraft of each type until the DfT changed their spec to two aircraft per base in late 2012.