I've read again and again "there is no money" ignoring the inconvenient fact that joe Taxpayer has in fact already paid enough to equip several squadrons of new maritime patrol aircraft and the money has been utterly wasted. This is not entirely the fault of service chiefs but neither are they blameless!
It's very easy to throw up ones hands and say "they" are to blame but until the procurement system is sorted, we will continue to waste billions. If any company had bungled a procurement to this extent, most of the board and top management would have been dismissed. Has anyone been censured, let alone sacked..? It would be nice to think that the lessons have been learned but I wouldn't bet on it.