Where were we again? Obsolete ships or something like that.
In war time, everything has a much shorter lifespan/recycle time then in times of peace. Fighters are mass produced, but are quickly superceded by improved or new models. Everything is driven by the need to have the best technology available. An exceptional design (e.g. the WW2 Spitfire) might have a lifespan of several years, although it would have many variants over that span (I seem to recall the Spitfire had at least 15+ variants by the time it ceased post-war production).
In peacetime, things are very different. Production is much lower (ships die of old age rather than being shot down) and there is no strong impetus for new designs. (I'm Australian, and the F-111's we have in active service are older then I am).
The Excalibur probably falls into a similar category to the WW2 Spitfire. An excellent fighter just coming into production at the end of the war, it will be the frontline fighter for several years to come. It's going to see several varients before it finally goes out of service - the Excal you see in WCP is likely to be several significant steps above the prototype Blair steals (or can steal) in WC3. Much better shields, improvements to weapons, engines etc. In WC4 I seem to recall they moved into the stealth fighter role. There are still limits to how far you can push the basic model, however, so they aren't going to be as good as the more modern fighters found on the Midway. As they get older, they will most likely be passed on to Reserve squadrons and militias.
The ships in WCP are all purpose built for specialist jobs, which mostly involve keeping the peace. Gone are the days of fighters having to serve multiple purposes. Their designs reflect peactime concepts. The Shrike is a good example of this. It is a purpose-built light bomber - not a fighter bomber, but a light bomber. It's purpose is to torpedo enemy capital ships, probably ageing Pirate or renegate Kilrathi corvettes. It doesn't need any serious fighter capability because it is going to be accompanied by purpose-built space superiority fighters from a fully operational carrier group.
As for the Dragons/Lances ...
A limited number of Dragons were built in secret for the Black Lance. They have only one serious advantage over a conventional fighter - range. Their matter/anti-matter reactors give them virtually unlimited flight and fight time. Other fighters can cloak. Other fighters can carry plasma cannon and flash-paks. They have one serious disadvantage over a conventional fighter - cost. The cost of a single Dragon, relative to a standard fighter is prohibitive.
I believe this is the single governing factor over the existence of Dragons (or similar vessels) in WCP times. I don't think public feeling regarding their association with the gen-select will have anything to do with it, it all comes down to economics. Dragons will not be used if a conventional fighter can do the job at a fraction of the cost. That is not to say they don't exist, it just means that their usage will be extremely limited. The advantage of their range and the importance of the mission must outway the risk of their loss. This means they won't be used in carrier groups, or in combat missions where they might be lost. Better to lose half a dozen Vampires if they run out of burner fuel then a single Dragon (although if a pilot survives combat long enough to run out of burner fuel he's either a briliant pilot or a D!ckhead who doesn't know how to fly properly). So their use will probably be limited to Secret Ops that take advantage of their range, e.g. long range spy missions etc.
As for selling Dragons to privateers, well, two reasons against this.
1. Never sell someone something that can be used against you (who was the guy who sold Talons to the Retros?)
2. Cost. Hell, if Confed can't afford these things, it's a pretty rich privateer that can.
Not that the privateers aren't going to buy something similar (albeit nowhere near as good, you would imagine). The similarites between the Dragon and the Centurion are obvious. However, what is going to be available on the mercenary market is going to be a commercial model with a fraction of the cost and (proabaly) a fraction of the ability. So I would hesitate to call it a Dragon.