[Yo-Yo]

My point is the fundamental platform, not the capabilities.

Well, you said "thrust vectoring of the F-22 and F-35."

The "fundamental platform" difference between the F-22/F-35 and earlier generation aircraft is stealth.

[freedumb2003]

>>Well, you said “thrust vectoring of the F-22 and F-35.”<<

I stand corrected (sort of) — the fact both have thrust vectoring, no matter how it is used, is an example of the incrementalism I decry. But I concede the point that the thrust vectoring on the F-35 is much more limited than how it was designed to be used on the F-22.

>>The “fundamental platform” difference between the F-22/F-35 and earlier generation aircraft is stealth.<<

Then why was the F-117 retired so soon?

Stealth is a great technology but it isn’t even close to the fundamental game-changing understanding of physics and engineering (complementary but not equal) that produced the F/16, F(A)/18, F/14 and the F/15. The F/22 “goosed” the platform but wasn’t fundamental at all.