Quote from AAAintheBeltway:
I have some doubts that we should be investing hundreds of billions more in high tech fighters. Of course, the generals want them. What bureaucracy doesn't want to spend more on itself? But we can't really afford it.
If they were essential to our security, of course we'd have to find a way. But are they? Are we really planning on going to war with China? We can buy hundreds, maybe thousands of drones for the cost of one fighter, plus we don't have to train a pilot and agonize over what hapopens to them if they're captured.
We need to stay ahead of the curve and not waste a lot of money on 20th century weapons systems. We can have semi-submersible missile barges that are remotely piloted and which can launch hundreds of cruise missiles. Of course the Navy brasss prefer hugely expensive ships. After all, that's the way it was done in WW II.