Propaganda! - I’m afraid we may know the truth about these aircraft in head-to-head confrontations long before their useful life is over. And our pilots - along with the second best fighter ever built (after the F-22) will make the difference.
The biggest flaw of the F35 that stands out like a sore thumb and should have made the aircraft unacceptable from the get go... One engine. Seriously, a one engine aircraft is less maneuverable than a two engine aircraft.
The Russians essentially took elements from the the F14, F15 & F18 aircraft designs and modified them to make the Sukhoi Su-30... Two engines are always better than one.
The F-35 was built primarily to be an attack aircraft, not a fighter.
Are there any examples of actual dogfights in modern warfare, the kind where in close maneuverability really plays a roll?
No.1 Lockheed Martin / Boeing F-22 Raptor (USA) - 2 engines
No.2 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (USA) - 2 engines
No.3 Eurofighter Typhoon (European Union)
No.4 Dassault Rafale (France)
No.5 Sukhoi Su-27 (Russia) - 2 engines
No.6 McDonnel Douglas F-15 Eagle (USA) - 2 engines
No.7 Mikoyan MiG-31 (Russia) - 2 engines
No.8 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon (USA)
No.9 Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Sweden)
No.10 Chengdu J-10 (China)
Noticeably absent... The F35
The F35 is a 'joint' task force fighter, because the Americans are not currently willing to offer the F22 to it's allies, and most of it's sales are going to be from America's allies. That is, unless their allies figure out that it's a dud and back out of those contracts.
Let them ‘misunderestimate’ the US inventory, they will learn an expensive lesson in the end.
Single engines mean lighter weight mean more maneuverable... but also less redundant. if your single engine goes out, your reaching for the rocket engine under your seat.
Thru the ~1980’s Russian engine technology was not on par with the US... they make have caught up since
Stopped reading right there. Idiot writing trying to sound authoritative.