Originally Posted by
golder
When the loss exchange ratio is 20:1, You would need a large fleet of 4/4.5gen.
https://www.airforcemag.com/article/...-in-the-world/
Pilots have raved about the jet’s performance. In its first Red Flag, F-35s scored a 20-to-1 kill ratio against a simulated enemy. In another, it flew 16 simulated offensive counter air missions, eliminating 100 surface-to-air missile sites without losing a plane. That’s not just good performance—it’s unmatched performance.
So there's a huge incentive to find ways to reduce that ratio. Who knows what technical changes or ideas there might be out there which could reduce the advantage one day, quite suddenly? Meanwhile, it's in everyone's interest except the tax-payers and other manufacturers to show the aircraft in its best light and since us tax-payers don't understand the complexities of aerial warfare we can be bull****ted quite easily by facile facts.