Very unpopular to say, but damnit I will say it.
The F-35 is an overengineered piece if shit.
The air force would be better buying tons of F-16s with improved engines for the F-16.
The Navy never buys good planes, but they could buy something less crappy than the F-35.
It's funny the F-15EX they are buying more of now costs the same as a new F-35A. Biggest difference though is the maintenance costs are a lot less.
The Navy needs a stealth capable tip of the spear for contested air space. I agree with the F-16/F-15EX premise for homeland defense and Air National Guard units. But FOB's and Naval ships are in desperate need of stealth capable fighters. Since these will most likely be the first in combat.
The biggest advantage of the F-35 is not the stealth though it is the ISR and communication package it brings to the fight. They way they interlink to the battle space is pretty amazing. They even have them linking with ground and artilary units to relay target locations.
Currently the effective weapons range for any US fighter in Air to Air is about 120 miles with the AIM120 or AMRAAM but an AIM260 JATM is currently in testing at 260 mile range which will out pace the 190 mile range of the chinese PK-15.
The USA is woefully behind the Chinese in missal tech