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This is a major POD with limited consequences so far. (Since the USA hasn't had to watch the F-35 get blown out of the sky by modern Russian missiles and aircraft, as would inevitably happen if both sides had reasonably trained pilots.)

Instead of buying the F-35, pushing it onto allies (notably Japan which wanted F-22s and Australia which needed F-22s), and so what if the USA invested heavily into the F-22?

That is, export of F-22 technology to their closest allies (most importantly Japan and Australia, but probably also the UK and perhaps other European nations). Development of the F-22N navalized version instead of the stupid Super Hornet. Development of the FB-22 bomber variant instead of the F-35 to serve as an in-between solution between current bombers and the 2018-2025 B-2 replacement.


Given the cost of the JSF (closing in on that of the F-22 with around a third the capability) this would allow the the USA to field well over a 1000 F-22s (including variants) as well as letting partner nations field their own forces. Given the capabilities of the F-22 over the F-35 this would probably also represent a 2-3 times improvement in capability for the USAF.

(Left out: the Marines. I have no idea what they'd get without the JSF and with the F-22 lacking the features they want.)


And, before anyone brings it up, the USA has maintained a 32-34/32-34/30-32 split between the Navy/AF/Army since WWII so it isn't like the Army will ever be able to cut into the other service's budget for insurgency operations.
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