GK - Correct, but it underscores the larger point. U.S. fighters since the 1980s have enjoyed both superior weapons/sensors and better performance than their adversaries. The latter translates into engagement control: against any adversary other than the Su-27, any modern Western fighter has been able to disengage at will and (as you point out) to return tomorrow to continue campaign-level attrition. (The MiG-29 has speed, agility and acceleration but lacks the fuel to extend an engagement.) Will the F-35 retain that advantage against the Su-35, J-10 or J-11?