Missiles vs Fighter jets ? Which one would be better ? I think it depends on the adversary. Against the US, missiles are the weapon of choice, since fighter jets would be more or less useless against a far superior airforce.
Fighter jets carry missiles. Various types of missiles. Air to air. Air to ground/sea. Anti radiation missiles.
Air to air missiles are no different from portable surface to air missiles carried on fighter jets.
If fighter jets can win, so can ballistic and cruise missiles, and vice versa.
Question is, which one is better?
Fighter jets are more expensive to buy, to operate, to maintain, to train pilots and maintenance personnel for.
They are also more verstaile offering a wider variety of options.
Ballistic missiles are harder to intercept, moreso when you add greater variations with maneuverable reentry vehicles or multiple reentry vehicles.
Fighter jets are easier to target.
Take your pick.
I think Iranian policymakers decision of mass producing ballistic missiles to defeat their American adversaries is alright. Nothing wrong with it.
If Iran can't defeat Americans with their ballistic missile force, then they can't do so with any fighter jet purchased from any number of countries either.
So yes, ballistic missiles - MASS PRODUCED - over fighter jets.
Against a regional adversary however, a mix of missiles and fighter jets would be the best option.
I'm not sure how many missiles Iran can launch at one time but with Iran's mobile launchers and launch sites from underground silos, 100 targets hit on a daily basis, especially at the start, would be preferable.
If the max number of ballistic missiles that Iran can fire is only 100, then Iran stands no chance against any regional adversary, forget the USA.
Iran is king in practical terms, although numerically and probably capability wise the Chinese are ahead yet they haven't used any of their weapons in a modern combat setting whereas the IRGC has on numerous occasions.
Is there any proof - not just propaganda rumours from the Americans - that Chinese are ahead of Iranians in quantitative terms? That CN possess more ballistic missiles than Iran?
Any evidence?