As we can see now in Ukraine these Russian planes aren't even a match to basic defenses like Stinger rockets. Our CF18s would destroy them easily.

You saw that? I didn't see any of that. I saw Ukrainians begging for old Polish fighters, begging for a no -fly zone. (Stingers are low level shoulder launched. Stay above 15k feet and you're good). This is not how somebody that is winnig the air war would behave. Our air force is not as confident as you concerning its ability to match Russia. Spending a jillion buck to buy F-35 isn't the way somebody would behave if they were convinced of their superiority.

The Russians are also less airpower-centric than we are. Why would they be? The west's airpower is probably unbeatable. On the ground though, the Russians are willing to take losses, us, not so much.

As we can see now in Ukraine these Russian planes aren't even a match to basic defenses like Stinger rockets. Our CF18s would destroy them easily.

You saw that? I didn't see any of that. I saw Ukrainians begging for old Polish fighters, begging for a no -fly zone. (Stingers are low level shoulder launched. Stay above 15k feet and you're good). This is not how somebody that is winnig the air war would behave. Our air force is not as confident as you concerning its ability to match Russia. Spending a jillion buck to buy F-35 isn't the way somebody would behave if they were convinced of their superiority.