I am sure that the F-22 is superior when compared to the T-50, but as Russians have proved before, they simply make up for what they lack in capability with numbers. Just because we outspend every other country when it comes to our military doesn’t mean some resourceful Russian can’t make a plane that is 90% as capable but 30% cheaper than the F-22.

I think that we have plenty of F-22s for any realistic situation, but if Russia is able to produce and sell this aircraft in numbers approaching 1000, our technological perch won’t seem so high. It would be an interesting dynamic if countries we are technically allies with, like Russia and India, gain stealth technology.