After working for Lockheed for 11 years plus, I've seen how it works. It's not bad management on the military procurement depart's side. It's the companies coming in, maybe offering the senior officers a good paying job when he retires, a nice house, and so on. NO pressure to pick that company, oh no, just strong suggestions to pick their product.
Of course, the product isn't ready yet, but they promise it will be by the time it is supposed to go into service. Naturally, it won't be. They just need a couple more years to get it ready, oh, and a few million more dollars. Then a few more...
Not bribery, ohhhh no. but I think you see how it's all set up. Next senior officer moves up after the original retires, and it starts all over. A well paying job, nice house, or whatever, is a small investment for "the company".
So, it's not mismanagement by the military, unless you count their totally ignoring the tests that show another company's product is vastly superior. AND is ready during the testing. But "the company" promises their product WILL be ready. It's not, come the time, just a short delay with troubles in some systems, and of course a few million more to get it all straightened out, but by then, the senior officer has retired, gotten his well paying job, and is applying his own pressure to his former junior.
I won't say what I saw happen in a specific program I was in, but I've seen it all, from the peons position. And believe me, 1st level management IS a peon. They ensure the peons are on salary, so no overtime, and if you don't like it, just quit. Riiiiight...
I shut up, now.
Pat☺