TBM, I believe the blame for whole Tiger/NH-90 debacle can be laid at the door of some very senior idiot at Sikorsky who was so sure that the Australians would see the absolute commonsense of your argument that he made absolutely no effort to sweeten the pot when Australia came looking for a deal. (I'm told the offer made to the Australians by the Americans was utterly ridiculous.)
The Australians went away and bought the opposition's product.
I hope and pray the day never comes to cause our helicopter units and the units they (currently don't) support to curse that nameless American. Some might say that day is already long past.