I think case of VWR combat was getting discussed..
AESA is not a panacea, in an aircraft it is still a fire control radar, albeit with a far higher refresh/scan rate and resistance to jamming, it is not a replacement for a good search radar on ground or in air. Those are the ones which in current times provide you better SA. HOBS is a worry but not the way it is presented as a make or break issue. Had it been such we would have gone to hell to get it.
Pitting a F-16 blk52 against a T3 or T1 Typhoon. even in BVR, is not like pitting a 3rd generation fighter against a 4th gen fighter. There are differences in equipment but they are not such that one force will overwhelm the other on bases of just equipment.