The F15 is in my opinion the BEST fighter the US have produced. Itīs track record is second to none. It may not be stealthy but if Stealth is likely to become less of an advantage in the future, thanks to advancement in detection and tracking technology the Old Eagle may become a better choice than the F35 in the long run. Yes, it is an old design BUT the jet fighters have undoubtedly reached a plattform by now. With present technology you either go all in with the stealth and hope it pays of in the end, or work along more traditional lines and focus on a constant advancement of other technologies to make you hard to spot.
The SAAB JAS39 Griffon is pretty stealthy due to its small size and while not totally on par with an F35 it will still be a very potent bang for the bucks. Now, the Eagle is a generation older than my dear Griffon but the Eagle has been modified and modified and dammit, its design is near perfection. You could, in my opinion, basically build a new generation of F15:s from scratch, use more modern materials to gain some modicum of stealth, decrease weight, increase speed and dammit, increase everything. It would probably cost a mere pittance compared to the F35 and give you that many more fighters in the air that would still kick Russki or Chinese butt all the way to Katmandu.
US strayed down a path were it believed technological advantage alone would always make them stay one step ahead of anyone else. Problem is that route is a path fraught with danger. In the end, the two opponents who really would be able to give US hard fight have thanks to focused efforts on specific technological areas seemingly started to feel certain enough that they can if not nullify at least contain the effects of some of the US tech advantage.
USA needs Air Superiority or it cannot operate effectively. Or rather, I am certain it could. But it would mean increased losses of men and materiel and the knowledge that all of a sudden the heavens are no longer autofriendly could cause the morale of troops who while otherwise well motivated have litterary grown up with the knowledge that America rule the skies to drop significantly.
I hear whine from younger swedish soldiers about how you can fight without air support. Well, that is what we always trained for. We never expect our flyboys to give us a hand when we needed it. You stay small, you stay low, you keep moving. Our planes will have more important jobs at hand than supporting ground troops. The finns practice in the same knowledge that any plane they are likely to see in case of war is fucking dangerous.
But an army that is NOT trained this way will be hit hard if no air support is aviable or rather when they realize that getting hit by enemy air strikes is a reality.
