F 18, F 16 Escaping From SAMS, Pilots Sharing Stories

While I am typically quick to jump on the anti-F35 bandwagon (and I appreciate the video here), in this case, all of the advantages that the F-35 has were cut out of the demonstration. The F-35 has better stealth capabilities and longer range missiles and targeting systems. Putting the F-16 and the F-35 is a close-quarters dogfight gives the F-16 the advantage of playing to all of its strengths while cutting the F-35 off at the knees. That being said, the F-35 should never be a replacement as an air-to-air superiority fighter. It's a multi-purpose fighter and will suffer when pitted against a dedicated air-to-air combat jet.

Except the Viper wasn't intended as an Air Superiority Weapon System --- that job fell to the Eagle. The F-16 was envisaged as a CAS weapon (believe it or not)