No, I can see the issuance of a TL 12 base when you're trying to outfit millions of troops. The Consular troops attacking the Imperium are the best equipped in the Consulate. There are probably Consular Army units equipped to lower standards in other provinces, but Iadr Nsobl troops get the best the Consulate can produce.
As to Imperial procurement practices, yes, where the defense contract money goes matters. In every governmental system where taxes are levied, the citizens expect to see some of those taxes come back in local expenditures in local businesses.
For just one example of that practice biting a service in the ass, the USN was forced to take delivery on several ships of the LCS class ['littoral combat ships'] that were too focused in design and never lived up to their expectations. By the time the first ships were coming into commission, the Navy had given up on the concept. It tried to weasel out of the deal and cancel the contract, but the Congressional delegations of the effected states took, um, 'extreme' displeasure at the Navy putting so many skilled shipwrights out of work all the sudden. THEN the Navy tried foist these orphan ships off on the Coast Guard and it took major effort to defeat that stunt. The idea was to give the LCSs to the Coast Guard and steal money of of the CG's budget that the CG had earmarked on ships specifically designed for CG missions.
However, comma, but the practice of spreading defense dollars out to create jobs in local industries is generally a good one. It helps maintain both the technical know-how in a given industry and it keeps skilled technical workers employed with well-paying jobs.
Where I differ insofar as Imperial equipment goes is that IMTU the Imperial Army is equipped with Gauss Rifles, not ACRs.