Cause they would have to pay for those parts I suspect and who knows about compatibility.
If 30+ year old Hercs are good enough for our SAR guys then the PM and all Govt. officials should fly on them as well. Bet we would have new planes then and in a hurry.
Its not really uncommon. I have seen it done with F-16's, and they still do the same thing with B-52's and the boneyard. They try to refurbish parts as much as they can, but even then parts still have a limit. If you need something bad enough, what better place than a museum to get what you need.
That happens here as well, during some military situation that I cannot recall the US Military came to my college and confiscated all our M-14's thinking they would need them.
Stephen Priestley (June 2006). "The Kingston Class: 'Mid-Life' or Move Over for the MCDV?". Canadian American Strategic Review. Retrieved 2012-01-09. "Among MCDV inadequacies, armament is listed as the major limit- ation for sovereignty patrol duties. The Kingston class are armed with twin 12.7mm M2HB machineguns on either side of the bridge but the main armament is a 40mm L/60 Bofors. This gun is a museum piece dating back to 1944. Even as training weapons, the Bofors is of dubious value – they were just on hand and lowered costs."