I do not entirely, agree with you, Su-57 is a 5th Gen plane,
But as per the definition of 5th Gen then from the LM stableonly F-22 would qualify, from Sukhoi stable there is Su-57. There were also MiG-1.44 and Su-37 Berkut which became more like Technology demonstrators.
F-35 has sensor fusion, so there is no question of OR. it has, F-35 is as LM have decalred as VLO, you can interpret it as Stealth if you want, but the true definition is VLO. The RCS for USAF and TuAF base design would be same, as it is the same base design, but then the USAF has invested in cutting etc avionics which they would not prefer to pass to others. Though the idea for F-35 was to have watered down tech of F-22, the technolgoy has developed so much that it ends up making some avionics of F-35 better than those in F-22. With the quantity that USAF will buy, they would for their own capability be comfortable to use F-35 with just internal bays loaded. Remember F-117 had small internal weapons bay too, and no external pylons and yet they were used extensively. F-117 carried 2 tons of load internally, on other hand F-34 has 2 internal bays and can carry 2.5 tons of internal load (useful for SEAD/DEAD) and total 8.1 tons warload (used later during conflict)
F-35 is developed when the accompanying avionics and weapons help its survialability. When F-16 was in forefront, what was more important is being able to dog fight, because the missiles were not that reliable, If you put the latest F-16 against F-35, most of the time the F-35 will be a winner. F-35 is VLO and F-16 is not, F-35 has better situational awareness than F-16 and it will have the advantage of seeing F-16 first and hence would have the advantage of planning and executing the attack at it own terms. F-16 has better manuverability but the A2A missiles are more manuverable than F-16. The same would apply for most planes that face it including Su-35 or Rafales. Rafales carries its warload externally and hence has better chance of being detected than F-35 which would carry the load internally to keep its stealth. F-35 would be able to detect Rafale due to its radar, and perhaps Rafale can detect F-35 due to these emissions thanks to its detectors, but then F-35 would target the Rafale and simply stop its radar emmissions. Rafale by this time would have have the firing solution, but the target thanks to its VLO would be simply vanish, unless Rafale's AESA would be strong enough to detect and track F-35. Be reminded that Rafale would not be able to track the F-35 if the F-35 is not emiting. That would be like two blind people silently searching for each other. Unless one makes a noise and gives it up.
The case with Russians planes would be similar. With the game of stealth and anti stealth. it would be good to have jammers onboard that can jam the incoming missiles. I think F-35 has a jammer internally, correct?
Read again my post : you agreed with me !
I say F22 is the sole 5th gen,
I say F35 will have (or have .... but with troubles) sensor fusion.
I say F35 is stealthy but with low load capacity (and with the same RCS for USAF or for Turkish air force?)
F35 is definitely not supercruising (when two european 4,99 gen planes are...)
But we can't speak of F22 as the line is closed and it would cost a lot to re open it.
I think F35 will be less versatile than F16, as it is limited now and tomorrow to 7G. And F35 customers can't have the F22 to act as a high end option (like Japan or Israel with F15 before).
Sure no one will recognise, once purchased, that F35 is not a good plane. They will not loose faces. But it will be a very dedicated and not so impressive air to ground plane, with very uncomfortable air to air perf.
As said before, a fighter is used 99,9% in peace time, to show your muscles. And the pilots of Su27, SU30, Su35, J31, J11 .... will laugh during and after meeting F35.
