I think it’s been outrun by technology anyway. Much cheaper to go unmanned. Tiny is pretty stealthy, plus who cares if it gets shot down.
Platforms coming up behind it have a ton of advantages for 1/10 of the price tag.
Romantic view of the heroic fighter pilot aside.
“I think it’s been outrun by technology anyway. Much cheaper to go unmanned.”
You don’t know enough to express an opinion. That is why national defense strategy shouldn’t be determined by amateurs.
We are decades away from fielding an unmanned aircraft that can establish air supremacy. Current UAV drones are effective because they operate within a relatively short range and act primarily as surveillance craft. A remotely-controlled drone up against a live pilot in a Sukhoi or MiG would get destroyed in a blink.