A bit of both during the 1980s, but if the meters malfunction, it will also be bad publicity. Fluke's reputation is so large today, they no longer give away promo meters, AFAIK. Also, the military market is very large, that it would not be possible to give them free, cost wise. All the industrial meters are made to US military specs, so it can be purchased OTS, no special models are made for them like the early days with the 27FM. FWIW, that shuttle DMM, the 8020 series, was also OTS, not specially made.

BTW, f you really want a good basic DMM, the 25?? or 27 FM can be eBay for typically under $50, and they are as tough as the 28II, although not officially IP rated or CAT rated.
I've personally taken Flukes on ships for weeks, exposed to salt spray, extreme heat and humidity, the usual drops and spills, and the basic 77 and 80 series hold up, and never need adjustment.
Its a reason you see only Fluke's as a common site on USN fleet maintenance, shipboard.

FWIW, I tested an Agilent 1272a for over a year, and while its a tough competitor to the Fluke 87V, most of what's I need is what the 87V already delivers, and the Agilent 1272a is just less ergonomic.
Agilent is a better DMM for your money if price is the same, but when it comes to usability, the 87V wins due to its simplicity; OTAH, I've been using it for decades, so it could also be just comfort knowing were all the controls are.
Do Fluke give the meters to people and organizations as shown in their publicity shots in order to get the bragging rights or are the meters genuinely chosen by the end users. After all what is the cost of a few meters to Fluke when theire main market is the tens of thousands electricians in the world which is their
main market. https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiliey_dmm.gif