Far from reflecting any lack of understanding, SHar's withdrawal perhaps indicates that people understood only too well the 90 hour blade life (it used to be 500 hours) and the 43 engine changes required in the last 18 months (even the five planned for was a bit high for such a small fleet), to say nothing of the higher MMH/FH figure than is required for the F-14.
This was a platform that was becoming economically unsustainable, effectively unsupportable, and that offered a capability that was rarely relevant.
And every time you put them on the boat, you prevented the carrier from carrying a meaningful force of GR.Mk 7/9s.