RE:”
It did for about five minutes, 10-12 years ago, when we were looking at withdrawal of the F-14 from service (thanks to Big Dick Cheney and “41”) with no replacement anywhere close to its performance in sight. (Still the situation, we're just forging ahead without a solution.)
....
......
Bugs and Slammers is a virtuous combination, don't get me wrong, but they haven't anything like the range, payload, and combat virtuosity that the F-14’s loaded up with Phoenix missiles did. It looks like our luck is running out now, as China and Russia muscle up to take us on, and even the Iranians want a piece of us. “ Yes but instead we liberated both Iraq and Afghanistan , then rebuilt them and turned them into Democratic versions of Hong Kong.
We are universally respected around the world for those two successes, as much $$$ and manpower as it cost.
Let Russia or China beat that,