F-35 and F-22. Photo from Military Photos And Photoshops
Ryan faith, VICE News: Saving Money on the F-22 Fighter Jet May Cost America a Hell of a Lot
The United States Air Force is not in great shape. For starters, officials estimate it has 500 fewer pilots than it should ideally have. Plus, many of the planes those pilots would be flying aren't in great shape. The newest jet, the F-35, is continually hammered for schedule, cost, and technological issues. The slightly older F-22 is considered the best fighter jet in the world, but it was purchased in relatively small numbers. And the aging F-16 and F-15 counterparts will need a lot of expensive upgrades to remain relevant.
What the Air Force lacks in performance, it won't be making up for in quantity. Today it has only enough money to keep 55 combat-coded fighter squadrons operational (as opposed to the 134 squadrons they had back in 1991). Only half of those 55 are considered ready to go toe-to-toe with a peer opponent like Russia or China. According to a recent report from the RAND Corporation, the US hasn't had the capability to achieve 24/7 air dominance over China in a potential Taiwan Straits conflict since 2010 — something the US has been able to do in every conflict it has fought in the last quarter century.
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Update: F-35 vs. Eurofighter Typhoon: Which Fighter Will Dominate? (Dave Majumdar, National Interest)
WNU Editor: I am old enough to remember that the F-22 program was terminated because it was too expensive to continue .... even though it was the best fighter in the world by far. And its place was to be the promised F-35 .... a promised but equally good fighter jet (but cheaper). Years later .... the costs have ballooned, numerous delays, and an acknowledgement that the F-35 will not even come close to what the F-22 is capable of. And what is worse .... the financial demands of the F-35 is bleeding everyone else. But what irks me is that if the same criteria that was used to cancel the F-22 program was applied to the F-35 program .... the F-35 program would have been cancelled years ago.