Let's not forget another Russian specialty -- bluff! They were never as strong as they were made out to be during the Cold War. They rattled sabers, growled and made faces, and often times we and our allies backed down.
When the Cold War ended, a lot of people were chagrined about how gullible we were.
All they have right now is a prototype that has made two flights. OK, the airframe works. Nothing is known about how stealthy it's going to be, how reliable the avionics are going to be, how expensive the bird is going to be, etc., etc., etc...
It's too early to get wee-weed up about things. Although I do believe keeping the F-22 in production would be prudent.
I agree with you
Akin to you building a kit car or home-built aircraft in your garage. Ya you can build a one off, fly it, but then truly test fly it, but now enter serial production with suppliers, material certs, the processes held too and the parts inspected to print, then assemble and test.
That is where the rubber meets the road and with the Ruskie's track record on their engines, ya it might work if we gave them some Pratt F100-220's other than that, you maybe spot on. This maybe another situation like when we thought the MIG-25 Foxbat was unobtainium, and it turned out to be a lead sled...
“All they have right now is a prototype that has made two flights. OK, the airframe works. Nothing is known about how stealthy it’s going to be, how reliable the avionics are going to be, how expensive the bird is going to be, etc., etc., etc...”
Yes. To use the cliche, “the devil is in the details”. Two prototypes does not make an effective air force. There are still tons and tons of expensive engineering and manufacturing technologies that have to be developed and optimized before any of these will be rolling off the assembly line.