I think we will see a return in our “outdated” aircraft suplying a backbone to our increasingly slim numbers of increasingly expensive advanced 5th+ generation fighters. A change in doctrine is evidently becoming more and more necessary in order to preserve air supremacy and perhaps its value to ground forces if it can be obtained.

The crux of the issue is the USAFs and Congress’s preference towards producing a slim number of high tech, stealth, all singing and dancing Multi role fighters. The cost of which will inevitably will dramatically reduce the number of fighters we can deply at an alarming rate. Raising the uncomfortable question, are these aircraft that much more capable when facing a sizable enemy force?

The danger we seem to be heading towards is that our potential enemies could defeat our few disastrously expensive advanced Aircraft with increasing number of ever cheaper “good enough” planes. Make no mistake they would face high losses but our planes cannot fight beyond the limits of their missile payloads or re-armament time, opening US/NATO to the possibility of being literally overrun.

The Germans learnt the hard way on the eastern front that Advanced tanks canot beat a Soviet hoard with cheap armour and swarm tactics. Lets not make that same mistake.