I keep getting so frustrated when I see comparisons of the F-35 Lightning to the F-22, or F-15, or other high-performance fighter jets. The F-35 was not ever intended to be an air-superiority platform.
(graphic stolen from an official USAF document comparing the F-22 and F-35)
It is meant to be a stealthy, precision bomb delivery platform. Only two bombs? Sure. Worked great for the F-117- for how many decades? I never heard anyone complaining about that warload- especially with how effective it was. Imagine the F-117 upgraded to fly supersonic, carry a couple air-to-air missiles to defend itself, and increase its situational awareness by a factor of ten with a helmet mounted display, and a combination of passive and LPI active sensors all over its skin. Oh, and some versions can land on a ship or a baseball diamond. People would be saying, "Wow, that's great! Let's get lots of `em!"
But wait- there's more! When the enemy's IADS is reduced, you can hang more bombs and missiles OUTSIDE it! Effectively quadrupling its effectiveness, or its destructiveness. Wow.
But no, we keep comparing the F-117 to the F-15, which isn't a comparison at all.
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