UAL T38 Phlyer

For $1.4 Trillion, you get a modern F-4....except the F-4 could carry up to 11,000 lbs of stores.

Agreed. Block 50-60 Vipers and C/E/F Hornets are more than "adequate." They're still really good, despite origins in the 1970s.

The problem has always been: all eggs were placed in the Stealth Basket for this disaster. It compromised aerodynamics (bulky fuselage for internal weapons carriage), which led to all the other problems: non-bubble canopy to reduce drag; requires fancy EO system to check 6; doesn't work; helmet doesn't really fit narrow canopy. Bulky fuselage makes lots of unpredictable lift at high AoA; get wing roll-off; limit g and AoA for even more mediocre performance. Still too draggy, range compromised, more gas, now too heavy for wing area to maneuver like a 5th gen fighter. Take out "non-essential" stuff to make it lighter in pointless bid to make the performance seem better, such as self-sealing tanks, hydraulic fuses, THE GUN....

And worst of all, the radar cross section (which I once read, I believe in Aviation Week, was to be 10% of an F-16), is instead 90% of an F-16.

And, since the design was hacked multiple times by China, and China has fielded a new portable radar that works in a new UHF frequency range, has probably negated most of its "stealthiness."

For the same money, I'd rather get 3-4 Vipers or 2-3 Hornets.

Plus, in a BVR ROE war, the thing only carries two Air-Air missiles.

Good luck with that.