Hedging their bet on the F-35 with the new buy F-15’s. The F-35 could turn out to be all that it was promised to be, I would not hold my breath.
The additional F-15’s add a lot of value.
The Strike Eagle is the 2nd best deep interdiction craft in the world, next to the F-35.
The F-35 is also the 2nd best fighter in the world next to the F-22. I say this not due to its speed and agility, but because of its advanced sensors and stealth. It’s nearly immune to terminal targeting. And it’s designed to shoot from 50-100 miles out before anyone even knows it’s there. If you cannot see the F-35 (via VFR), you cannot shoot it down.