“a single-pilot, survivable, first-day-of-the-war combat fighter with a precision, all-weather strike capability that uses a wide variety of air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons—and that defends itself in a dogfight.” John Kent, senior comms manager for the F-35 in 2003.
There is a HUGE difference between an attack aircraft that "defends itself in a dog fight", and an air superiority fighter. The F-35 is NOT nor was it ever intended to be an air superiority fighter.
Yes, but weren't the F-15 and F-16 born out of the experience of Vietnam, with a heavy emphasis on the ability to perform close-in 'dogfighting'?
Indeed. USAF's "fighter mafia" had a huge role in the development of those two aircraft, and they insisted on an air superiority fighter. The F-35 is not and was never intended to be an air superiority fighter. Think of the F-35 as a super duper A-7, which is of the same vintage as the F-15 and F-16. A-7 had eye watering air-to-ground performance and pretty damn good maneuverability. But it was never an air superiority fighter nor ever intended to be.