Completely agreed. To fight with the US, you have to destroy a military infrastructure equal to about twenty Ukraines and eleven super carriers. That's before you get to the mainland. US can't be matched in the couple of decades we'll see. However, it can fall to internal factors.
The thing we'll gain by having this plane is:
- A high level of deterrence which no US vassal in our proximity can attain. They can't send greeks against us and watch from afar as a regional competitor speds its energy with a miniscule affair that escalates into a full conflict.
- A high level of independence regarding arms embargos.
- The ability to export military power to our allies to a huge extent.
- The ability to respond to a leveled escalation. Example: North Korea can't do shvt against small infractions because their playbook is only two levels deep: chill or nuclear holocaust. You need steps between that in order to 'erode' the political will of the US.
- The technical capability, facilities and personnel to make this happen, which can be used in other projects as things wind down.
- The pleasure of saying fuck you to the world's superpower and not be a joke while doing it (cough iran cough).
These are worth the sacrifices we are making, and then some.