It’s by far the best plane out there for dogfighting and tactical bombing. Killing it after all this time when it’s finally starting to roll out is pure idiocy.
Why roll out a plane that is simply too expensive to fly??
That is idiocy.
I'm an old Army guy, so far be it from me to feel schadenfreude when the Air Force & Navy f** up.
But they never hesitate to cancel Army projects that don't measure up -- does anybody remember the Crusader?
Way over promised, way under delivered, way way over budget.
It may meet promises some day after more billions are thrown at it.
Test Pilot Admits the F-35 can’t dogfight.
https://warisboring.com/test-pilot-admits-the-f-35-can-t-dogfight-cdb9d11a875#.9pekmjfaj
Yeah, it would hurt....a lot. But, if we stick with it, we (and our allies) can't afford anything else for the next 30 years or more.
The aircraft is a compromised design in every variant, in order to fill three very different roles.
Why would you want to field less than optimum weapons when survival of men, units, forces, and the nation depend upon them?