One thing that we do have to do is stop running programs that take 25 years from first-serious-money to IOC. It was unknown before 1980 (it would be like the F-16 starting development in 1955) and it is unsustainable.
Agree 110%. However, the political, threat and industrial landscapes have changed significantly since then. Once upon a time there were pollies who understood the need for military equipment, there was an (arguably) existential threat with real kit to counter, there was a civilian DoD or MoD establishment that knew how much and when detailed analysis was called for and there was an industry staffed with people who had learned hard lessons on numerous previous programmes. Oh and software performance was very definitely secondary in terms of cost and risk to airframe propulsion etc.
Now, there are relatively few pollies who understand that military equipment is a necessity; it is very difficult to identify a military existential threat; the DoD/MoD is staffed with people who believe that literally every element of performance and support must be analysed against detailed scenarios (but keep changing the scenarios and requiring different analyses) and have invented numerous processes that must be followed in every detail; most in industry have not undertaken the early-stage design of things (which is where you get the basics right) and have no scars. Oh and you can't even buy a simple switch that hasn't got some element of software in it.
That's where the time goes. As I'm sure you know.
LWF/NACF happened because the civilian leadership realized that replacing every F-4 in the inventory with an F-15 or F-14 was an economic nonstarter.
Bet they wish they had now!
It will be interesting to see how much supersonic time the F-35B (fuel fraction = clean F-16) and F-35C (heavy, big wing = transonic drag) actually see on any given sortie. I have heard the latter called "a stealth YA-7F".
It's the ability to do it in short bursts that will be important - at least for RN. I think X32 was probably closer to a SLUF-NG, if only in looks.....