US Air Force is Pissed

[aloft]

Let's just say that things are not always as they seem. Military officers are not generally in the habit of arguing their case in the media--at least not without orders to do so, if you get my drift.

 

[Velocipede]

Or maybe make smarter procurement decisions. A famous one would have been taking the F-20 over the F-16. A much more capable fighter, but since it looked like an old F-5/T-38 it was nixed.

 

[Matt13C]

Are they not still making F-15's, F-16's and F-18's for other countries? Why can't we just buy a few to replace the old ones? Keep the F-22's and F-35's coming and replace the old jets with new jets of the same make. You save money on developing and testing as well as retraining pilots to fly a new jet.

 

[aloft]

Or maybe make smarter procurement decisions. A famous one would have been taking the F-20 over the F-16. A much more capable fighter, but since it looked like an old F-5/T-38 it was nixed.

The F-20 came along long after the lightweight fighter competition that resulted in the F-16. What makes you say it was a "much more capable fighter"? Seems to me it carried an inferior radar, carried less fuel and ordnance, and had the same narrow performance envelope that the F-5/T-38 did.