F-35 Red Flag.

This is coolbert:

This is hype? What everyone hopes and wants to hear? Maybe too expectations have been "exceeded" and very markedly so?

"F-35 Scores Impressive 15:1 Kill Ratio at Red Flag War Games"

Red Flag simulated aerial combat with the F-35 proving to be a world beater without peer?

"Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada is considered one of the most realistic and challenging aviation warfare exercises, and pilots from this year's event say the Air Force's F-35A exceeded expectations by dominating the air space and improving the lethality of other legacy aircraft."

"It's stellar performance is a major victory for a war plane that's been criticized for its high costs and plagued with several development setbacks."

"Running from January 23 to February 10, this year's Red Flag involves more threats to pilots than ever before . . . Against the ramped-up threats, the F-35A only lost one aircraft for every 15 aggressors killed, according to Aviation Week."

With this response from an acknowledged aviation authority who knows this stuff:

"The question to ask: would the results be different if you put the same avionics on the old planes, such as the F-15 or F/A-18?? Saves a HUGE amount of money and development time. I'm not saying the F-35 is a boondoggle--I don't know enough about it to say that (and anyone who does may not know either, since there always is so much crap published by everyone about a new design, including winning manufacturers, losing manufacturers, pilots, accountants, politicians whose districts have new or old contracts, leaders of the using service, rival leaders from other services who want the money for their boondoggles, etc.). Just that the question should be asked before comparing apples (F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s) and oranges (F-35s)"

ADVANCED AVIONICS AS FOUND IN THE F-35 COULD BE INSTALLED IN THOSE OLDER F-15 AND F-16 THAT COST SAVINGS "HUGE", PERFORMANCE OF DESCRIBED "LEGACY" WARPLANES GREATLY ENHANCED?

Proven "legacy" combat aircraft just made that much better and can be done NOW?

coolbert.