The last of HMs majestic Sea King HAR.5s
The Ace of Clubs, 771 Naval Air Squadron, who has celebrated over 40 years of saving lives from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, started service with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm 24 May 1939 at Lee-on-Solent flying Fairey Swordfish TSR biplanes, her pilots helped in the search for the Bismarck. Transitioning to SAR in 1961, they hung up their then DeHavland Sea Venoms for Westland Whirlwinds and have been a chopper unit ever since.
Now 771 NAS and HMS Gannet’s SAR Flight, the last two military SAR units in the UK, are standing down. Their 300~ rescues per year will be the duty of civilian contractors who assumed the task from the RAF earlier this year.
Most powerful and glorious Lord God, at whose command the winds blow, and lift up the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage thereof; We, thy creatures, but miserable sinners, do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help; Save, Lord, or else we perish. –Prayers to be used in [all Ships in]* storms at sea, 1892.
I’m not sure I understand this whole outsourcing of military jobs, we see it here in the US as well.
How can a privet contractor hiring highly paid civilians, pilots, crew chiefs, mechanics, and management, be cheaper then keeping this work in the Royal Navy. Not to mention the profits a civilian company needs to make to keep their shareholders happy.
I’m an old Cold Warrior, did my time in the 70’s, Had an electrical problem in the barracks, maintenance sent over a PFC or E4 to fix it, that cost a heck of lot less then hiring an off base electrician. Not to mention all those support jobs or non-combat jobs was a good training ground for those that didnt want combat arms.
This just smacks of an accounting gimmick, their able to say we cut back on defense spending, our services are smaller and take up less of the overall budget, but governments end up spending just as much if not more in support spending that once was part of the military budget.
Smoke and mirrors, “we are saving money,” but no, not really, they are spending more because these civilian pilots are getting paid a lot more then a couple of warrant officers.
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