Kyle Boatright wrote:
Now, they are proposing further upgrades to the fighter (the F-15) they
railed against and the fighter they wanted to be a minimalist dogfighter.

I remember back in the late 80's/early '90's, the fighter generals who
were ruling the Air Force tried to get rid of the A-10 and were pushing
a "ground/attack" version of the F-16 as it's replacement.
Along came Gulf War I and the A-10's were here to stay.
Look at the history of the F-16 and you will see that it continues to
gain weight and misson roles.