If we abandoned something overpriced and with many issues, the F-16 would have been stopped at less than 50 models made. Yet, it is over 4,000. The F-16 had massive issues. One of the best, the joystick did not move, it used force sensing. The pilots did not like it, to the point they would break the joystick of the F--16 away with the force applied. The solution was to allow a small lee-way to confuse the brain into thinking it is moving.
If we abandoned something overpriced and with many issues, the F-16 would have been stopped at less than 50 models made. Yet, it is over 4,000. The F-16 had massive issues. One of the best, the joystick did not move, it used force sensing. The pilots did not like it, to the point they would break the joystick of the F--16 away with the force applied. The solution was to allow a small lee-way to confuse the brain into thinking it is moving.
And pilots are loving the plane
http://milforum.net/showthread.php/50077-Forsvaret-kjøper-F-35-kampfly-fra-Lockheed-Martin/page110?p=1235285&viewfull=1#post1235285
https://theaviationist.com/2019/04/02/heres-what-three-italian-f-35-instructor-pilots-with-62nd-fs-have-to-say-about-their-first-red-flag-with-the-lightning-ii/
https://theaviationist.com/2017/05/31/red-flag-memories-combat-pilot-explains-how-rf-has-evolved-and-why-the-f-35-is-a-real-game-changer-in-future-wars/
https://theaviationist.com/2019/06/23/dutch-f-35s-perform-9000-km-long-surprise-attack-on-dutch-range-as-part-of-a-rapid-reaction-test/