RE AF-2
As I understood it AF-2 was indeed used, it has been the lead aircraft in all the flight envelope expanding testing for the F35, so it would seem it is used to doing near dog fighting manoeuvres.
The statements about AF-2 not having the latest stealth coatings etc would seem to be unhelpful if the exercise was about dog fighting.
The Pentagon and the JPO have not come out and said that the statements made are economical with the truth, as I see it they have come out and given some forms of words that could be construed to be excuses. Implicitly thus the project owners are stating that the report is near to the truth and possibly not unexpected. This I would see as a tax payer in a country that is building aircraft carriers for the B is slightly concerning, if a car was being sold like this in the UK Trading Standards could get interested.