If that's true, then it's evidence that a decision has already been taken in favour of Rivet Joint.
That's not a good thing, for all of the reasons previously trotted out, but it's particularly not a good thing for our democratic processes.
I say that because no such decision has been announced to Parliament, and indeed the Ministers are still insisting that Helix (as an upgrade to existing R1 airframes or to MRA4s) remains an option that is being considered, and since even BAE's own MRA4-based R5 proposal has not been finally ruled out - though the company has been told that it needs to come up with a proposal that meets the Government's entirely arbitrary ISD.
But for the Helix bids to be seriously considered, then retiring R1s to Duxford and Newark is not an option - these airframes may be needed for another 16 years, or at least as a stop-gap pending delivery of an MRA4 based Helix.
Such underhand manoeuvring is not surprising (all the tea leaves in my cup spell RC-135 these mornings) but it is unusually shabby even by the 'standards' of this gang of rogues.