Let's talk range.

One of the major raps against the F-35 is that its a short ranged fighter.  But lets compare its combat radius with that of the premier fighter in the world today, the F-22.  From Wikipedia.

F-22 Performance Data...
Performance

• Maximum speed:
  
  
  • At altitude: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h)^[88]
  • Supercruise: Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,963 km/h)^[88]
• Range: 1,600 nmi (1,840 mi, 2,960 km) with 2 external fuel tanks
• Combat radius: 410 nmi^[189] (471 mi, 759 km)
• Ferry range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km)
• Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m)
• Wing loading: 77 lb/ft² (375 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 1.08 (1.26 with loaded weight & 50% fuel)
• Maximum design g-load: -3.0/+9.0 g

F-35 Performance Data...
Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.67^[269] (1,283 mph, 2,065 km/h)
• Range: 1,200 nmi (2,220 km) on internal fuel^[270]
• Combat radius: 610 nmi (1,110 km) on internal fuel^[270]
• Service ceiling: 60,000 ft^[271] (18,288 m)
• Rate of climb: classified (not publicly available)
• Wing loading: 91.4 lb/ft² (446 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: **With full fuel: 0.84;^[59]
  
  
  • With 50% fuel: 1.04 B:^[59]
• g-Limits: 9 g^{[nb 4]}

Seems like the F-35 isn't as short ranged as many noted authors would have us believe.  A comparison of legacy aircraft with comparable combat loads would also show them to be lacking in comparison to the F-35 too.  Don't believe the trolls.

The F-35 is a winner!