In this day and age most of the emphasis is placed on 5th generation, stealth fighter jets like the F-35.
In my opinion yes they are vital as frontline fighters, however every airforce also requires a cheaper and more affordable conventional fighter jet as an alternative to make up the bulk of an airforce. Something that an airforce can essentially utilize as a workhorse.
Basically for leading military powers, cutting edge technology like cruise missiles, stealth UAVs and 5th generation fighter jets lead the way on the frontlines, clearing the skies, establishing air dominance.
Afterwards there is no need to continually use extremely expensive 5th gen fighter jets to pound enemy positions. Once the skies are clear and air defenses have been effectively suppressed, any conventional, non stealth fighter jet and cheaper UAVs can easily do the job for pennies on the dollar.
The low cost of such assets also allows an airforce to easily decimate the enemy by continually saturating the air as we've seen in recent low intensity conflicts (Libya/Caucasus etc) Usually losing a fighter jet worth tens of millions and a pilot that took years and years to train, would greatly deter an enemy from continuing the campaign without hesitation. However with UAV's, there is no pilot or massive cost associated. This allows a military to succeed in situations where normally they would be forced to hesitate.
Of course 5th generation fighter jets or fighter jets in general have an advantage in that they can strike hostile air targets and use counter measures to avoid being shot down. However drone technology is already moving in that direction. In the near future the skies over battlefields will be filled with stealth UAVs that are highly maneuverable. These will be able to automatically avoid being shot down by using counter measures, for example by deploying flares, jamming technology, out maneuvering an incoming missile, etc At the same time they will able to hit ground and air targets with utmost precision.
Considering all of the above, I truly believe that Iran choosing to reverse engineer and modernize the F-5 platform is a great investment. They're easy to maintain, cheap to build, 4 of them can be transported in a 747 and with modern avionics and radar they are extremely underrated. The fact that Iran has also invested heavily in drone technology has already paid off with dividends, as we saw when against all odds, the Aramco facility was successfully targeted with pin point precision.
Above picture is from the following article. Notice the aircraft on the left and then right. Look carefully and you'll see one is a UAV, one is piloted. Interesting concept.
Canada wants to build a multirole, non-stealth, tactical aircraft
Montreal, Quebec-based Icarus Aerospace opens up about its Tactical Air Vehicle platform as it seeks government funding and market traction.
skiesmag.com
F-35 turns out to be a complete FAILURE
A tacit admission by the US Air Force that the F-35 has failed its main mission has triggered an outpouring of outrage from Americans who think the stealth fighter’s gargantuan budget could have been better spent on other things.
www.rt.com
1.7 trillion spent on the F-35
A lot of money for not always the best results.
nationalinterest.org
Four F-5s fit into a 747 with room to spare
With plenty of room to spare!
www.thedrive.com
