Keeping the F-35C line open before the next carrier fighter

Should the U.S. Navy keep buying F-35Cs until a Super Hornet successor arrives?

Yes: keeping the line active maintains aircraft availability and squadron renewal while the next programme matures.

The discussion treats the F-35C as the practical aircraft already in production, able to keep squadrons renewed and industrial capacity alive until its successor arrives. Its integration problems are real, including the failure to secure Meteor compatibility with enforceable contractual penalties. A narrow gunfight comparison with an F-22, F-15, or F-16 is nevertheless an incomplete way to judge a stealthy multirole aircraft. Like the F-4 Phantom's broader advantage over the more agile F-8 Crusader, the F-35C's sensors, weapons, and fleet employment matter more than one close-combat metric.