re: #251 Ericus58

Throughout the history of aerial combat, the successful strategy has always been to have two “fighter” types; one for air superiority and one for attack.
Sometimes, the same aircraft is configured to fulfill one role while others of the same type fulfill the other - but the combination of both roles on one aircraft is not optimal, it requires the sacrifice of capabilities from both roles.
And in the requirements for carrier-based or Marine (VTOL) operations, you’ve now added a third role.

The JSF program just might be one where too many mission requirements are being placed on one airframe.

All that being said, the F/A-18 is probably the best example of what happens when the designers get everything right. It’s been America’s premier strike plane since its introduction, and a modified variant even replaced the F-freakin’-14, for crying out loud. Granted, it doesn’t really suit the Air Force’s requirements all that well, but as a versatile all-in-one design, it suits the Navy just fine.