Just had a peek at the modern threats to aircraft. There is one threat that is the 'Daddy' of them all and it is really bad news. The Russian S-400 Triumf (NATO code SA-21 Growler). It can reach out to 400km, up to about 30km high (185km on Wiki for specific missile), down to about 5m and travelling at 5,000 m/s (MACH 15). It is highly resistant to jamming. It is extremely mobile, can be setup quickly and with only three personnel. It fires four different missiles for various range engagements and can engage 80 targets simultaneously. It can engage all manner of airborne threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles. If that wasn't bad enough, they are selling it all over the place. It will be in more countries than MacDonalds by Christmas.
I don't know about F-35, I would be wanting the Starship Enterprise and Klingon cloaking device before messing with that.
The nearest system we have apparently is the Patriot missile system that has a range of about 100km up to about 25km altitude. That's a whole lot less than the S-400. There is an upgrade in progress (Patriot Advanced Capability - 3) but I don't imagine it will get anywhere near the S-400.
How did that happen? How did Russia get such a jump ahead of the West in SAM capability? Apparently only the F-22 is capable of confidently attacking the S-400, with its better stealth properties. The F-35, with reduced stealth, is said to be at risk to this system, especially as the stealth of the F-35 diminishes significantly when not targeted from the frontal aspect.
Government statements have indicated the Typhoon will be in-service to 2040. 4thGen aircraft wont get near an S-400. If I was a Typhoon pilot I would ask for a F-35 or a pay rise at least. Going against a S-400 in anything other than an F-22 is said to be risky; anything less than a F-35 would be re-enacting the charge of the Light brigade.
The S-400 is a monumental advance in SAM capability; but what leaves me gobsmacked is that we have nothing near it. Any tin-pot dictator could buy one and instantly get a high level of air defence capable of handling nearly anything that could be thrown at it.
It would interesting to know whether unmanned fighters, with their much higher 'G' capability, would be able to out-manoeuvre these SAM missiles, in a similar way to how that was done in Vietnam. I doubt it and in any case ripple firing these SAM's would get the aircraft in the end.
Together with the potential of new stealth defeating systems (such as quantum radar, etc.) and laser weapons downing aircraft, it seems one possible scenario of the not too distant future is a battle space where aircraft have become as vulnerable and outdated as cavalry.
Quick overview of S-400
"Russia's S-400 Is Way More Dangerous Than You Think"
January 18, 2018
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/th...ou-think-24116
Good detailed overview of S-400
"Technical Report APA-TR-2006-1201"
Almaz S-300P/PT/PS/PMU/PMU1/PMU2 / Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf / SA-10/20/21 Grumble / Gargoyle
Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-400_missile_system
Why India Is Buying Russian S 400 Instead Of America’s Patriot Pac 3?