The F-35 itself isn't the issue. It's the one-size-fits-all mentality of today's Defense Department that is the problem. It is a bad idea to replace the role of every other combat fighter with a single aircraft that makes no sense.
F-15s are good at what they do. And they do it better than F-35s.
No argument, here. Ditto the A-10.
But I think eventually, air combat will be a face-off between drone swarms with command and control motherships, and the F-35s will be worked into that role with their stealth capabilities. It may only take some software changes. Naval and ground combat will be altered from past conflicts by the presence of unmanned assets, too, and possibly AI (Face it, that's where this is all headed. Give the swarm an objective or mission and let it proceed the best way it can, analyzing the objective and changes in the opposing forces as it goes).
Think
Ender's Game, only with computers doing most of the tactical decisions and adjustments.
