Then we will be facing a threatening china with their indigenous J-10s, and the Sino-Russian Berkerut and Mig1.42(see post 50 for pictures); as well as a bristling air defence system with Sa-500s and radars that can 'paint' stealth aircraft.
Then when young pilots in F-18s start getting shot by stealth Chinese fighters derived from the Berkerut, or even by RAM coated Su-30s (some Indian versions were upgraded with an RAM coating from Russia that reduced their radar signature by 70%) armed with R-77 AA missiles (that are more advanced than the US AMRAAM) then i wonder what the Senators who killed off the f-14 Tomcat will say.
Remember the reason our planes were so effective in Iraq was due to several reasons. 1) We had better trained pilots. 2) We had better planes (the mig -29s Russia had sold to Iraq had been 'dumbed' down by Russia to protect certain vital technologies). 3) We had destroyed all their radar systems. 4) We had a better cordinated attack thanks to AWACS and Orion planes. 5) We saturated them.
However think of an enemy employing upgraded russian fighters (not the dumbed down versions sold to Iraq), with well trained pilots (in a German 'test' well trained pilots in F-15s could not beat well trained pilots in Su-27s), having good ground defence (Sa-500s coupled with radar grid linkage that can minimize the effectiveness of stealth) and jets carrying 'long stick' weapons (the Rateka-77 AMRAAM-ski).
What happens then when our valiant lads fly into the heat of battle against such odds, 7000 miles away in the straits of Taiwan or against Aircraft carriers that the chinese bought Sunburn missiles to defend against (the sunburn was designed to beat Phalanx ship defenses and fly in a 'ripple' fashion where several missiles come in at different altitudes at the same time at mach speeds, and in the terminal stage zigzag...each carrying a potentially crippling warhead).
Chances are such a scenario may not happen. However hoping for daisies and daffodils in the next decade until the JSFs and Raptors start rolling up is risky. Especially for those guys strapped to F-18s.
And if the Australians found it judicious to change their F-18s for sukhois and upgraded migs, then the least the brass can do is consider this (wait a moment. Wasn't the article written by a retired American Rear Admiral, and a former worker at Grumman? The only problem seems to be congress being more intrested in funds for their state getting defense projects than for the lads who will use them)