A great many of us have been advocating for this very thing for many years. I well over 20 years in Naval Aviation and have known for quite some time that the F-35 concept was an unworkable Turkey. No one military aircraft can be all things for all scenarios. The Swiss Army knife of the skies is an apt analogy. The F-35 is designed to do many many things and not one of those things can it do very well. In many cases, it can’t actually do many of them at all.
And, many of us have known this for quite some time. Politics kept this Turkey on Life Support. Long past time to kill it.
Tell that to the all knowing Congressmen and women who have degrees in Aeronautics and aeronautical engineering................Oh, there aren't any...............
“No one military aircraft can be all things for all scenarios.”
The Navy has been doing it since they retired the F-14 and the A-6 — it’s called the F/A-18 A/B/C/D (I’ll grant the E & F types are different aircraft). Also the EA-18G Growler. The big deck carriers are essentially Hornet Hives.