F-22 isn't even competitive in the pure mission statement since its air-to-ground capabilities are very limited - it was built for pure air superiority and its

F-22 isn't even competitive in the pure mission statement since its air-to-ground capabilities are very limited - it was built for pure air superiority and its very poor as a multirole fighter. That's a big factor for countries that can't afford BOTH air superiority and ground support craft. F-35 is just... a pretty good airplane for a pretty good price.