Which jets are better for the Air Force? Is the fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter or the latest iteration of the F-15 family – the F-15EX Eagle II – the smarter choice? The answer appears to be both. The question is not so much about which fighter jets the US Air Force should buy as it is a debate about the right mixture of the two jets for expected future conflicts and budgetary realities. As the first air wings receive the first F-15EXs, Lockheed Martin has announced it has delivered the 1,000th F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.