Here's how the F-35 stacks up to Russia and China's 5th-generation aircraft

We've ling known that the Russians can overcome hi-tech through sheer brute force, like the MIG-25. In most cases our front-line aircraft are superior. The Chinese are coming from a different direction... focusing on the support aircraft that allow us to achieve air supremacy over the battlefield... interesting. Now what is confusing to me is that the author focuses on the F-35s ability to act as a multi-sensor platform and "node" for providing tactical data... to whom? If the F-35 is the whiz-kid in the clouds who is the fighting platform?

In a short summerary:

USA: Made a huge project that ate money.
China: Copied the project in the idea of it being a good aircraft, made it cheaper.
Russia: Went with there own idea and incorporated the ideas that they've had since the 1990's, ignoring most of what we consider "basic principles of air to air combat" AKA Stealth

In short, aircraft is starting to reach it's peak, where we are one step away from space aircraft, and everyone is copying ideas from each other, while trying to best the other.

amazing how the Chinese Chengdu J-20 Looks like the F-35...