To add on to other answers, one of the major design parameters that went into the F-35 was not being a delicate, impossible-to-maintain prima donna like the F-22. There’s stories about people accidentally just kind of scraping off the high tech anti-radar coating, and the stuff inside kept it on the ground a really long time between flights too. Meanwhile, the F-35 has almost every part independently accessible, and normal-ish coating durability.
I wonder what the reason is. It must be either so good it’s beyond words, or so bad it’s unusable.
“F-35 is cheaper per-flight hour”
They are expensive, and almost irreplaceable.
Neither of what are good qualities for weapons.
To add on to other answers, one of the major design parameters that went into the F-35 was not being a delicate, impossible-to-maintain prima donna like the F-22. There’s stories about people accidentally just kind of scraping off the high tech anti-radar coating, and the stuff inside kept it on the ground a really long time between flights too. Meanwhile, the F-35 has almost every part independently accessible, and normal-ish coating durability.