Is stealth in combat aircraft now irrelevant?
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffGQLnlXks4


I assume Lockheed would argue against this a bit. :)


The value of stealth imho is that it reduces the range at whioch the enem,y cna detect you. If you lonpow that detection range he is capable of, you can tailor your tactics and weapons to work with that range advantage of yours.



However, it costs money. A lot of money. The question is if super-expensive fights low ion numbers can hold thgeir ground - or sky, to be precise :) - against a huge numerical superiority of fighters not exactly at the same tech level. This ma ynot be true for small scnarios of limited combat action, here the technological advantage should heavily score, I woudl expect. But in huge wars, the advantage probably shifts to the side with the greater numerical reserves, and tehcnolgical advanatge is less and lesser able to compensate for that. We can see that in the attrition warfare in the Ukraine currently. If you can digets the loss of higher own numbers, you can overwhelm the enemy by simply "flooding", over-saturating his defences.

Sheer weight of numbers is what makes China so dangerous in combat or so we are led to believe.

Nuthin bad ever goes outta style
 

Unmanned Stealth: The development of unmanned stealth aircraft, such as the X-47B and the Loyal Wingman concept, indicates a trend toward combining stealth with autonomous operations to reduce risk to human pilots and expand tactical options.

https://youtu.be/jnACNy6KtH4?si=fWpOmiBBdzQY7Jhf