The man in the field want’s the strongest and most effective weapon for their immediate fight. The commanders, however, just want a weapon that’s reliable and is there for the fight. Tanks or planes the break down before the battle are of no value. Tanks or planes that take a long time and much logistics to repair are of no value. Only the materials that make it to the fight are of any value. The more complex the hardware the lower the reliability.
I had a boss who drove a Jaquar. He hated it. It was always in the shop. He lauded his 1960 Valiant. On questioning him about the repairs on the Jaquar, every electrical item had been rebuilt. The Valiant, on the other hand, had a heater and an AM radio. He loved the Valiant and hated the Jaquar.
Reliable and easily serviceable. They want to get these back out in the field as quickly as possible. Turnaround time is critical.
Yes, a neighbor has an old Jaquar that will take a lot to fix. I call it a lawn ornament.
I have a 2005 Jaguar S-Type and I love it. I've had it for 2.5 years and I've only had one problem, which was minor enough for me to fix myself.
I know "in the old days" the electronics on the Jags had the reputation of being awful, as you point out. In 2005 Jaguar was owned by Ford though and I think they improved it a lot. In my fuse boxes there are numerous parts with the Ford logo.
I had one in the early ‘70’s. We called it the Princely Valiant.