[xdennis]

> Beyond that, is there a viable competitor available for an US allied nation to purchase?

Rafale, Typhoon, Gripen. None are as good as the F35, but all are better alternatives to a bricked airplane.

Trump already demonstrated how even older models (F16 given by Europeans) can be bricked in Ukraine simply by not providing support.

[actionfromafar]

There is also the metric "sorties per day", which is severly underlooked and very useful in any prolonged conflict. The F35 is not a clear winner there and might not be the best fit if you are a smaller nation.