Tuc, Rigga, agreed!
When I first encountered the MOD in RTO offices many years ago, I was a little in awe at their expertise. Likewise those staffing the old MOD PE Project Offices; everyone knew their stuff. However that was a long time ago and the likelihood that the MOD will go back to a system that assured a steady supply of competent people for all aspects of airworthiness is vanishingly small. If the will was there, I think it could be achieved in the field of continuing airworthiness if only because this is a key area for successful operations and it just needs time. As regards the field of initial/design airworthiness, I suspect that bird has flown and I doubt that the will to recover properly exists; I'm not even sure that the gap to be bridged is that well understood.
For many years, civil regulators have obtained competent resource from the relevant sectors of industry. 'Poacher turned gamekeeper' is alive and well. Similar options aren't easily available to the MOD and the perception that they have to retain authorities in house eliminates perhaps the only alternative viable solution.
Its interesting that over the last few years the French military regulators, DGA & DSAE, have adopted the civil model and have allowed authorities such as the Type Certificate Holder (and the relevant obligations) to reside outside of their MOD staff. I can't imagine the UK MAA giving this further consideration until the current model has been shown to be lacking; 10 years, say?
EAP