oh absolutely, these problems are the result of actions/decisions decades old, but they are to the outsider (and i include the rest of the government in that..) all coming together at the same time.
it looks, again, to the outsider, like the RAF (collectively, regardless of how unfairly) couldn't find its arse with both hands.
while i've seen individuals blamed, it can only be the truth that a whole generation or more of senior RAF officers have conspired in this airworthiness abortion - as happened with Chinook ZD576 and the subsequent cover up, Nimrod XV230 etc...
on the evidence, you wouldn't trust the RAF to run a welk stall without killing the saturday girl.