Stealth is designed to penetrate air defenses. On a battle field a close air support stealth doesn't give you sh*t the enemy can see you. I would rather have a plane that can take punishment and kick their ASSES!
Actually stealth is marginally useful where radar guided missiles are concerned (SAMS or AAMS). Stealth can prevent a missile lock. It’s been reported that an F-18 in an exercise “survived” to the merge against some F-35’s but couldn’t lock-up the F-35 and so lost in the knife-fight phase.