Isn't all of this simply a continuation of the way MOD procurement has always work?
The services argue to get ships or aircraft knowing perfectly well that the new kit will not be able to do what we want them to do.
Then once we are fully committed to the purchase, we point out the limitations and start arguing for extras.
In this case the extras just happen to be all of the aircraft.
Didn't they start calling SMART procurement a decade or so ago?