The F-35 is already a dinosaur. Hate to say it in front of my Zoomie friends, but the fighters of the future will predominantly be drone aircraft. Fighter jocks are necessary, but not in the numbers of the past. Without a human in the cockpit, there’s no need for fighter jets with bells and whistles that cost over $500 million.
“...there’s no need for fighter jets with bells and whistles that cost over $500 million...”
Unless there is volume, no defense contractor will take that lying down ... wait ‘til you see the bells and whistles on your highly polished new drones ...
Less than a grand usd all up and I seriously doubt that any air force in the world has anything that could follow it down that mountain ravine.....