though the gripen is designed to be maintained by conscripts, those conscripts are well-educated swedish conscripts. it’s very much a stuffed-to-the-gills high tech design. not at all what the OP is looking for. but then, maybe what the OP is looking for is not what today’s jets are, but more like yesterdays jets 😉

that’s a spiffy lookin little jet. why is it amazing that it is serviceable?

and in the meantime ancient museum pieces continue to make do in an utterly vital role to which they aren’t even perfectly suited.
The kc-135 was designed to refuel SAC’s B52’s before they’d move on up over the pole to bring death to the USSR.
This placed operational demands on the airframe that are rather different from the current usage of tankers. Self deployment for example.
aren’t those CEO types supposed to be patriots? or is the welfare of their companies of a greater importance than the welfare of the troops on the ground?

except that even back then, the F16 was a better mudslinger than the F4, with its far superior CCIP computer. The sparrow was used on some F16’s but never got into widespread use. F16 did have a potential BVR capability from day one.

afaik Russia has stood down all fitters and put them in storage.

the hoovers are already put to pasture, dunno about the others.
the u-2 is called tr-1 nowadays by the way.

If modern point defence sams can shoot down incoming munitions such as bombs and missiles, i dont see why something like asraam or iris-t couldn’t take out an incoming SA-5

the koreans should team up with the japanese as well as with the swedes and get something going. Between the three of them there should be enough production potential and capital to get something good in the air.