You do realize that fighters flying today are capable of faster and harder maneuvers than they usually do, right? They are held back by the biological limits of

You do realize that fighters flying today are capable of faster and harder maneuvers than they usually do, right? They are held back by the biological limits of the pilot, who must wear a pressurized flight suit, breathe pressurized oxygen, and use special breathing techniques to counteract blackouts, redouts, and other symptoms that come from pushing the human body to its limits. The fighter meanwhile can do far more for longer. A fighter today pushed hard enough to tear off its wings, suffocate its intakes, etc. means the pilot will have been dead already for a long time prior. >The next generation of tactical aircraft (both crewed and uncrewed) will be physically larger with a higher fuel fraction in order to remain relevant in the Pacific fight. It's a long way from Guam to Taiwan. They won't be able to tank every hour as was common practice during GWOT operations in the Middle East. You do realize aircraft carriers exist and the US Navy has twenty of them, right? The F-35 by far has the shortest combat range of all fighters the US Navy has flown in recent times, and that is compensated by the fact they have literally moving airfields.