What a crapload of FUD in this article. The F-35 EOTS does include a laser designator, which can desginate and track ground targets.
The F-35 will have the ability to carry advanced targeting pods with built-in video downlinks if necessary, it will just lose most of its stealth. But the F-35 was designed for first day of war stealth, then conventional non-stealth bombloads afterwards.
The F-35, when it reaches initial operating capability, will not instantly replace all of those other aircraft on day one. F-16s and A-10s will still be around for decades.
That’s what I thought, didn’t believe that rubbish about not having a laser designator.