You make the mistake of assuming that all our wars will be fought against insurgents. If that were the case, I’d agree with you. But Russia and China are continuing to upgrade their aircraft—and both sell their products. At some point in the future there is a possibility we could go to war against one or both or thru proxies. You need an aircraft that can meet the challenge. You also cannot afford a procurement holiday on aircraft. If you don’t produce a fighter for 10 years, you might as well not produce them at all.
sNo, you make the mistake of failing of economy of force. Of not consuming more than you need of resources, men, material or money on a given task.
You are like the Captain that wants a division worth of troops in case he gets all the way to Moscow.
99% of the wars have been irregular, low(relatively), tribal, colonial or just a political military mess. This is where the 99% of the killing has been, the economic destruction and obstical to progress.
It’s best illustrated in the case of the Army and their, up til now, distaste of SF, language schools. With the Navy you have their complete lack, up til now, with coastal and river force, even though that’s where the wealth and people are.
Even the CIA at tens of billions per year said, and this is after Gulf War one and the expense of the US of hundreds of billions, and more by other parties, and the dislocation and political and economic disruption of Saddam....that they, the CIA, did not have ONE human asset in Saddams Bath party.
Anyways, back to my theme, which escapes you, why is it OK for the Army to use second tier combat troops for less intensive operations, and why is it not OK for the Air Force to use simpler, cheaper craft for less demanding actions?
Why has the Air Force, except during war when they need them, been so anti A-10s? Matter of fact, wasn’t the A-10 program, more or less, shoved down, and kept down the Air Forces throats?
Let me get to the point. The Air Force want’s new fighters, and will trash, burn out, wear out, waste and dump it’s existing force to beaurocratical force, to box Congress to buy it new systems. (the other services do this too.)