Its not what you have, its how you use it.
Lookatme, you appear to be focused on the a/c to the exclusion of just about everything else.
Yes the 139 is a good machine - although it does have some limitations with respect to EMS work.
Yes 6 months slippage is not uncommon, and is possibly not that important in the context of a 7 year contract.
The real question remains, how are you going to operate the 139 when you finally get your hands on them?
If you are not going to make full use of the EEC, if you are going to persist with RWY operations, if you are going to have to deal with operational limitations with respect to taxiways, if you are not going to integrate the front and back seat crew ..... then we all know that the yellow 117 on the coast will need to stick around.