Well, there's always Japan's own 5th generation Shinshin to fall back on. They intend to have a flying demonstrator by 2017. And haven't the UK and Japan just signed an understanding for joint development of defence projects? All that needs doing is to add a naval version and a STOVL one too and have it all operationally available by about 2020, cheaper than F35, and the Japanese-UK axis will have cornered the market.
Leave you to think that one over, as my wife is just asking if I should be drinking all this wine on top of my medication....
