Mr Liberson : Our current assessment that we speak of is: greater than six to one relative loss exchange ratio against in four versus eight engagement scenarios—four blue F-35s versus eight advanced red threats in the 2015 to 2020 time frame.
I'm sorry to inform you but the above statement is more true than you wish to believe. He hasn't lied or been economical with the truth there.
The recent debates on here have almost exclusively revolved around the ability of the F-35 to turn as well (sustained) as the F-16 - part of an out-of-context media bandwagon which the ill-informed have piled on if it suits their agenda.
The very small but real chance of being in a turning, visual fight is actually a very small part of the overall Air Superiority game in the modern age, but absolutely IS still relevant. If it really does all go ti*s-up for you and you end up in a visual fight (assuming he's seen you) and decide to stay and turn with him - vaingloriously trying to 'get the nose on the bandit' for a kill - then you're unfortunate because it shouldn't have gotten to that stage. You've also demonstrated that you've no idea how to use your air system (aircraft, sensors and weapons) so you're gonna be embarrassed very soon. Many factors go into modelling and simulations but i'm pretty sure that in Mr Liberson's statement that very few kills were attributed to a turning, visual fight.
Overall, is F-35 better than F-16 in the A-A game across the entire evolution - from detect, identify, target, shoot and confirm kill? No doubt in my mind. Unfortunately too many read the various "Top Trumps" cards for aircraft and they don't account for tactics, training, doctrine and environment.
LO - Just to clarify my comments, Dr Thompson writes often and publicly so to me he's performing many of the roles of a journalist; he blogs, he writes columns for Defense. He also confessed in his article that he is pro-F-35, immediately removing any notion that the article is neutral - so, apologies if the word allegiance in that context isn't as pure as you consider it should be but his "allegiance" is clearly toward the F-35. Finally, starting a line with "I'll spare you an extended gutting of the cited piece..." treats the author with contempt and in my book that's trashing, not to mention hilariously arrogant.