[Yo-Yo]

A cheaper, lighter, smaller plane flown by a really top notch pilot can beat a bigger, more complex plane almost every time. Look at the Red Flag/Top Gun instructors in F-5s who beat the bigger costlier birds time and time again.

Not quite the same thing. The cheaper, ligher, smaller plane can't carry the fuel or weapons to prevail in a real fight. They can only prevail in the instructor/student scenarios set up by Red Flag and Top Gun.

[Notary Sojac]

Don't our guys still fight under ROE requiring a positive visual ID before firing? (I could be totally wrong in this)

That almost reduces it to a knife fight right there.

[slowhandluke]

Not quite the same thing. The cheaper, ligher, smaller plane can't carry the fuel or weapons to prevail in a real fight.

That's not the story as told about John Boyd and the F-16. By building it light, it ended up with great range and great maneuverability and decent firepower.