[wastedyears]

Wait... the F-35 is outclassed by Russian jets? Didn’t we build the F-15 or F-16 to beat them? Or was it another jet?

[sukhoi-30mki]

I think you are referring to the F-22 itself.The F-15/16/18 were all designed in the same era as the main russian threats(the SU-27 & Mig-29 variants).

It is said that apart from stealth the F-35’s was designed to have a performance just better than the F-16.

[Freeport]

The F-15 was designed based on intelligence analysis of the MiG 23. At the time, it was very much feared by the West. It was later found to be a paper tiger... But we actually got one heck of a beast in the F-15.

Unfortunately, it was so expensive for the time that a lower cost solution was demanded by Congress... Hence the F-16 (One of the very few times a government listened to designers & the military about a less expensive/capable machine that made sense!)

So we have a similar situation now... The F-22 for Air superiority and a less capable, but quite a bit less expensive multi-roll aircraft for everything else...

Still, the idea of an F-35 replacing an A-10 is just about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.... No way will it be able to take the pounding, provide the loiter time, be able to gun anything that moves on the ground, and still carry 16,000 lbs. of other ordinance and bring its pilot back alive even if the aircraft isn't recoverable!