What a huge mistake it was to stop production on the f22. This article [1] says the decision was made in 2011. I bet it was in part because the f35 was going to

What a huge mistake it was to stop production on the f22. This article [1] says the decision was made in 2011. I bet it was in part because the f35 was going to be so great and it was going to be cheaper because it was going to be made in mass quantities. It is made in mass q, and we are selling it to many of our allies. It's a fantastic airframe, but still not an f22. If the US ever got into a big battle with a similar top power (ie China and maybe Russia is still counted there), a bunch of f22's would have been great. That article says ngad replacement coming around 2033! Right in time to matchup against China (which I hope never happens for so many reasons, I don't want a war for anyone, now or in the future). The novel "2034: A Novel of the Next World War" was a really interesting book. It was written by a retired Admiral and talks about what a war might be like. Basically China has hacked all US computer systems including military ones and the US really struggles in the fight, atomic weapons are used, India plays the peacemaker. 1. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/air-force-only-has-186-f-22-raptor-stealth-fighters-207364 https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/air-force-only-has-18... 2. Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis, 2034: A Novel of the Next World War