What’s shocking about F-16 beating F-35 in a dogfight? What’s shocking is flying along and wham! You get shot down by something you never saw coming. Both the F-22 and the F-35 can do this.
Besides, I think everyone has known for a while that the F-35 is going to really do what the F-117 Stealth Fighter did . . . essentially penetrate enemy airspace and bomb stuff. Although both were called “fighters” because of political reasons, they really are fighter/bombers, the modern equivalent of a P-47 or Mosquito. Something that tries to avoid air-to-air combat unless necessary on the way out from the target. (Please, I’m pretty aware of the Thunderbolts air-to-air prowess, also. But late in the war, it was used differently than to support the 8th Air Force bombers.)
Oldplayer
in the CAS role, a gun is pretty much mandatory
The F-117, in no way, was a fighter... it had NO guns.
The F-35, on the other hand, is a piece of junk with a big price tag... I would keep the F-16s (my bird when I was in the USAF) and use the F-35s for scrap... (even start up the F-22 production line again would be better.. it is the only thing that is better than either the F-15 OR the F-16).