No kidding. You have to keep your military up to date. Make it obvious to your enemies that they will be smacked down so hard with overwhelming superiority that they dare not TRY to attack.
That said, I’m very suspicious about the true costs of these aircraft, and how badly managed some of these programs are.
That argument only makes sense if you not only have the BEST stuff, but you ALSO have a SUFFICIENT quantity of the best stuff.
The F-22 is like an expensive whore: real pretty and a fantastic performer, but in the end, nothing but a drain on the pocketbook when you could get a lot more action for a lot cheaper.
The F-22 program robbed our air force of funds that could have been more wisely spent.