[MCOAvalanche]

What we need is a low cost, easy to produce, easy to maintain, simple fighter in support of the F22s.

We have done it before - F-16, A-10 (I know, I know, not a fighter), F-20...

The USAF absolute infatuation with high tech is going to severely limit our defensive capabilities. Especially in light of the tightening of the budget.

[Yo-Yo]

What we need is a low cost, easy to produce, easy to maintain, simple fighter in support of the F22s.

That's what the F-35 was supposed to be.

The F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 production lines are still running. There is nothing stopping us from ordering new build F-16s with advanced AESA radars and HMCS to displace about half of the planned F-35 fleet. Or better yet, put the F-16XL into production. A protype was built in 1984 but lost out to the F-15E Strike Eagle.

There is nothing stopping us from ordering new build F-15Es with AESA radar and HMCS to supplement the small number of F-22s. Better yet, we could develop the F-15 MTD with vectored thrust and canards. NASA had a research prototype flying in 1989.