Not-a-B
Your last sounds suspiciously like the usual fiasco... does anyone actually know the difference in cost and performance between CTOL CVF with Dave C and E-2D and STOVL CVF with Dave B and Super-Bag?
In terms of missions generated and radius of action, I would've thought that CTOL had a sufficiently clear lead that the cost differential would pale in comparison, especially on a through-life basis.
Someone in Main Building must have done these tradeoff calculations - whether or not they actually inform policy, is of course another matter.
S41