Grumpy, just wondering what US made airframe are you referring to when you mention:
"After personally flying the EC-145 and talking to US Army pilots who fly them, we could have done waaaay better somewhere else"..
Perhaps the single engine VFR only Bell 210?
The mini-legged-dutch-rolling-hunting MD-900?
Or the "It only takes a new paint job" Bell 412?
As far as other "beleaguered" contracts, I would leave the Canadians both civilians or military out of it, they have proven time and again to be incapable of managing ANY aircraft acquisition process in the last 15 years (looking forward to the next debacle for the Canadian Coast Guard Helicopters procurement).
The only thing you can say about ORNGE, they replaced some old POC S-76As with AW-139s.
Believe me, sometimes the neighbors' grass IS A LOT greener.
That said, when it comes to military procurement, every sovereign country ought to be able to buy the best aircraft the money can buy for the pilots that shall have to fly them, without any political interference of any kind.
There are going to be surprises in the future...