There's no way that RM did not know about the government plans. Their business depends on how in touch they are with the outside influences. I've been dealing with government contracts off and on for nearly 20 years and the length of time it takes just to approve the funds for something like that are unreal compared to what a company in the private sector can do. I agree, if it's under warranty and it does not work for reasons outside of abuse it should be fixed.
That said, you may want to read the fine print of the terms and conditions of their warranty for certain exclusions. I've found RM to be fair and the squeaky wheel sometimes gets the oil just to shut it up.
