Single source supplier tend to have incresible bargaining power. And 50k per E-3 propably isn't even worth mentioning for everyone involved. Peanuts, actually.
Re:The Pentagon’s $52,000 trash can
by throwaway290 on Friday June 23, 2023 @02:07PM
(#36450312)
"The sum is low enough so it's not corruption" is also naive. Another side of the same coin
> When the 707 fell out of use in the United States, the trash can was no longer a “commercial” item, meaning that Boeing was not obligated to keep its price at previous levels
So now one can look why it cost "mere" $300 before, unless Boeing losing money back then the price hike may be shady behavior and then someone should change supplier asap.