“Again - what happens when the AWACS gets taken out and our pilots have to search for targets themselves?”
the F-35, with its IR sensors and broad spectrum radar solves the problem.
DAS...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1NrFZddihQ&list=PLxYF2Xt6-JqGp-LHnQucGbtbQTBdsnFp2
Again - you radiate, you die. Broad spectrum radar does not mean you cannot lock onto and track the source.
As for DAS - they just had to fire the initial vendor for that as it wasn’t working and switched to another vendor. Who has been reported to be having problems as well.
https://breakingdefense.com/2018/06/major-upset-as-lockheed-ditches-northrop-for-f-35-das-sensor/