I hesitate to enter an arena filled with those who have personal knowledge of the MOD system and how it works (or perhaps more importantly, how it is supposed to work), but fools rush in...
It has been postulated here that had MRA4 release been carried out under the "laissez faire" pre MAA system it would have gone ahead and the aircraft entered into RAF service, with tuc's list+ to be worked through thereafter no doubt. The UK would have retained a Maritime Air Capability instead of losing it, with an aircraft of great potential enhancing a retained and famed capability.
Far more likely an outcome though would be yet another tragic airworthiness related fatal accident thread posted on this forum. A random shuffle of the Swiss cheese slices would align the pathway of predicted and predictable consequences and yet another disaster would be traced back (though not by existing official means) to the reckless actions of certain RAF VSOs 30 years ago and of the cover up ever since.
To be fair to the MAA, though they will not/cannot admit to that systemic damage to UK Military Air Safety, they do have a weapon of last resort, which is to ground fleets that the RAF feel able to do without. Hence the Air Cadet gliders extended "pause", and that of MRA capability. What of other fleets? What of the replacement fleets to those grounded? Grounding is not a viable policy, only a completely independent Regulator is. Unless and until the UK has an independent Air Regulator and Air Accident Investigator, both of the MOD and of each other, a cloud will hang over every UK fleet. The airworthiness related fatal air accident threads will continue to be posted here and UK Military Air Capability compromised.
The cover up must end!
Self Regulation Does Not Work and in Aviation It Kills!