Asif, Politics does factor I will grant you. But Dude you are trying to make an argument of a conspiracy based on leaps of flawed logic.
for military contracts 3 factors stand above all 1 does it meet the mission need, 2 Can they build it? and finally bid.
The problem with your logic is.
First the MQ25 has not been finalized for production. General Atomics and others can still jump.
Second the X47 was designed as a stealthy observer and striker not for the MQ25, The requirement for the X47 has because of politics of the Budget that killed anything beyond the demonstration phase. X47B was as far as it would have gone.
Third There were three options put forward for the new COD. First was Northrop Grumman's offer of a new C2 based on the E2D. Second was Lockheed Martin's "C3" a rebuild of the S3 Viking as a transport. And Third was the V22.
Lockheed offered to build from the S3, was retired from the USN, although much to the consternation of many. The Lockheed Martin C3 was basically a new plane with the wings of the S3 and Tail. So you are using parts that have some wear on them farther more there has been a push to sell some of those birds. 91 exist of them most are still flyable some are not so numbers are limited. And that factors in as it means you can only acquire so many. farther more because of the mix of new and old and the fact the S3 was retired from service, This would require instituting a new lines of parts, training and maintenance either retired from service or brand new.
This basically killed the C3. Although parts are known systems the fact they are out of service means this would be a totally new system likely with the need of teething time.
The Navy wanted 48 units. The Current fleet of the C2R only numbered 39 so 9 units would need to be constructed if they refit existing units. a production run of only 9 is rather unlikely to happen So the other option would be to build a whole new fleet of C2 based on the E2D, "C2D" if you will. Now on the up side the E2D is in active production and has training and maintenance running.
On the other hand the demands of the C2D would only share some of the E2D training and maintenance facilities, especially as the Fuselage would be totally difrent
E2D rear
C2 rear
farther more a order of 48 units is again a hard sell in the Bama era. The bigger the order the more likely to be filled.
Although far more mature and based on a established support system. The Demands of production and order would have meant pausing the E2D line to construct C2D which would have caused issues of procurement for the E2D, because a E2D cannot become a C2D and visa versa.
CMV22 Osprey, comes in now, First The Navy was always going to buy Ospreys, they have a number of concepts floating around NAVAIR for the V22 HV22, SV22, and EV22 as well as the established MV22 they order for the USMC. The USMC has the Training and Maintenance system established, They have the logistics system in development. This is a Mature ready to go program. A Proven contender. The Marines have always been part of The Department of the Navy( And Marine Corps). Marine Air and Navy Air are like Conjoined twins. So The Navy knows the V22.
Next V22 is designed to do the Job. They are not taking an existing Airframe and rebuilding it into a transport V22 is a Transport. It's designed to fit in a Hanger deck It's even smaller than the C2R when folded .
V22 folded is almost half the Width of the C2.
The Production line is already active, The Marines place orders every year though NAVAIR and The V22 line regularly cranks out 2 variants of the V22 the MV22 of the USMC and CV22 of the USAF so ordering 44 48 or 50+ CMV22 is not a hard issue.
So Established support, Established Supply, Established production all in the Fleet. The politics? It's easier to ask Boeing to add 10 CMV22 to the Marines MV22 order every year, and Expand the V22 support infrastructure to the Navy Then it is to add new C2 or C3 and build from square one the Support.
