‘They are cool, but in an era where a two front large scale conventional wars seem a lot less likely, do we really need the most expensive plane we can buy, even if it is a “bargain”.’
Well..first of all there are a lot of sunk costs with the F-22. So, if you want a different, completely new fighter that fits some other set of requirements, you’re looking at many billions any way you slice it, and you’ve thrown away most of the development effort for the best fighter in history.
The cheapest way to go would probably be something like an upgraded F-15 design, with improved wing and F-22 engines. (Or, as some wag of an admiral suggested, buy SU-xx airframes and equip them with engines and electronics over here. lol) However, such a plane would lose every time against F-22s - which would you really rather have? We may have to go against top-tier Russian or Chinese equipment at any time. What if they have a secret game-changer like practical beam weapons?
The F-35 is intended to be a less expensive plane with less capability, and will be bought 5-1 over the F-22. That’s very much in line with the successful F-15 / F-16 pairing.
What is your opinion of the F-35? Is it stealthy and how manueverable is it? How does it compare to the F-22 and Grippen?