Hardly,
if you believe everything just as it is reported then you are more naive than your years should suggest. And it wasn't just retired officers - 1SL made the comment twice, once to the media briefing that caused the PM to get so upset, and also in front of the HCDC. If your location is an indication of where you work then go and ask just how many FOI requests and PQs have been asked by prominent retired dark blue on this issue over the last five months and you will better understand just how one sided and vicious this has been (although not always in the open press).
Moreover, you only need to take a casual glance across the web to find a number of articles/posts by serving French officers against Typhoon. I understand from the article that this RIAT briefing was in front of many Indian Journalists and so was probably a bit of a sales pitch - google the indian papers and see what a dramatic positive effect it had there. The French Admirals who were coaxed into helping the RN's cause by a number of high profile briefings to UK press were actually using the opportunity to subtley take a pop at Typhoon (now do you see how the game is played) - those who have abetted this angle against Typhoon need to ask what impact they might have had on the UK economy.
You have a point about the tit for tat approach: however, this campaign against the RAF has been more tit than tat!