Anyone remember the F-20? Inexpensive, easy to maintain. It was produced after a challenge from Jimmy Carter (it was not asked for by the services). There was no domestic interest and then there were some international bribery allegations, so that was the end.
I think that air superiority will be achieved by swarms of very small unmanned aircraft in the future. An F-35 won’t have the firepower to take out 200 swarming attackers. Or 2000.
Exploding ordnance won’t be enough?