[TheOtherHobbes]

Low-level drones are also stealthy. If they're not stealthy enough you can send them in bulk to overwhelm defences.

Ukraine's success with precision targeting of Russian assets would have been unthinkable with a fleet of F-35s and associated missiles because of the cost.

Cheap, smart, disposable drones are orders of magnitude cheaper and at least as effective for many mission profiles.

[XorNot]

The F-35 would've been used to take out the air defenses and cheaper munitions used for everything else.

Which is exactly what it was used for in Iran.