I used to fly with a guy who was a ukranian immigrant, who was in the Ukrain Airforce for many years and had 1500hrs on the Mig 29. We had many a discussion of Soviet bloc flighters.
He said that the equipment was fundamentally sound, quite simple and robust, the high unservicability rate due to support services in disaray.
Now what we really need is the F-15SE as our air defence fighter, F-15E for attack role, modernised with the network centric avionics of the F-22/35. Stealth, in this day of assymetric warfare. They use the mk 1 eyeball and a truck bomb so who need stealth these days. The days of NATO v Eastern Bloc are long gone.
Now for the big stick, a squadron of the B1R lancer that has been mooted by Boeing for some time. Huge payload, true intercontinental reach and presence. Its like the big ol double barrel shotgun that sat on the rear window rack of the ute, that was never used in anger but was there for all to see.
It does seem that the F-35 has been more for the defence industry in the US than an actual fighting machine. The gravy train that is following it in the US alone is simply staggering. Billions and Billions of $ for a highly sophisticated (on paper) weapons platform thats invisible to radar. yet the potential enemy uses nothing more sophisticated than a backpack full of TNT and nails.