Yanks Are Comin To Run Air Sea Rescue.

[tt6688]

okay you limey mother @@@@@@@,were coming to show you how to kick ass with our awesome choppers,rescuing dudes and stuff,way to go.

[LazyGun]

Its going to be a cross between "Airwolf" and "International Rescue" with a touch of Mad Murdoch at the controls of the helicopters. Sounds great! :)

[sandyRoe]

Will the servicemen and women who provide this service now just sit on their hands while foreigners do the job? Or will it be an excuse for further redundancies in the services?

[vulcan42]

Can they be any better then our own RAF, RN and Coastguards?

[RATTER15]

Why!!!?

[Baldric]

Do you have a link?
Is it Bristow?
If it is, they've been here for years servicing the needs of the North Sea oil rigs.

[Orderlimit]

Who is, Bristows?

[sandyRoe]

When aircrews and ground staff are operational it must keep them at the peak of their game. This doesn't seem a good idea.

[Orderlimit]

Sorry, i didnt see your post Baldric

[slaney]

Yes - Bristow
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bristow-helicopters-prince-williams-raf-1785689

[emmie]

a sad day indeed, not sure why we need the Yanks to show us something that we already do well..

[emmie]

I believe it is Bristow..

[Baldric]

http://news.sky.com/story/1069686/uk-sells-off-helicopter-search-and-rescue-ops

[Orderlimit]

tt6688, just a tip, don't go round talking like that in Scotland

[emmie]

nor anywhere, that wouldn't go down well with the squaddies.

[jake-the-peg]

It's always been a bit of an anomaly having the military do what is essentially a civillian service.

I'd imagine they'll end up employing a lot of ex-military SAR people who'll do quite nicely out of it.

And the RAF and Navy will be freed up from keeping people on standby for when someone gets washed out to sea on a lilo

[emmie]

so you are quite happy this is another privatisation, strange because i could have sworn you weren't much in favour.

[emmie]

besides which the RNLI are deployed in rescuing people too remember.

[LazyGun]

I read this article in the Guardian about this privatisation, which goes into some detail about the whys and wherefores.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/26/uk-search-and-rescue-bristow

Apparently, as Baldric has already alluded to, Bristows are already heavily involved in the SAR sector in the UK. I also think a major investment in the helicopter fleet is probably well overdue, and in this climate of austerity, with this government, privatising the service is probably a good thing, on balance.

I am no expert in SAR, so I cannot comment on the proposed sites of bases, or the closure of others.

[WELSHYORKIE]

As an ex-serviceman who has served at RAF Valley, I find this to be a kick in the teeth for the SAR crews - Prince William being one member. The SAR and Mountain Rescue Teams based at Valley are tasked primarily with the rescue of aircrew from the sea and from the nearby mountain ranges - will Bristows do a better job? I don't think so. No doubt there will be loss of more jobs from the base. Another sad day for Anglesey, i'm afraid.

[237SJ]

Bristow have been here for years and I doubt it`ll be American pilots. The privatisation will probably create more civilian jobs in manufacture and operation. There`s been talk of this happening for years. Typical of the newspapers to focus on Prince William who has been in the service for 5 minutes. There is no mention of Chivenor in N Devon which is a shame. I presume that will go. The helicopter from there has had more call-outs in the past couple of summers than ever.