Moreover, it is surely much better that the taxpayers and voters know that decisions costing billions of pounds have not been arrived at lightly or casually, since otherwise, defence spending will become a lower priority in the public mind. The services who explain their requirements and procurement priorities most clearly will be those who gain greatest public support, and politicians will find it easier and more popular to spend money on those programmes.
JN Routine taxpayers actually don't give a f&@k. It is only concerned citizens that do. Sometimes even those can be stiff armed with "we don't comment on......" Maybe we should just be happy that, for once, the best procurement decision has been made, for a multitude of reasons, after analysis of the options, and the right decision has been made without wasting millions on an unnecessary competition!