The F-16 is one of the best combat aircraft ever produced and is capable of a true vertical climb. quote]
The F-16 is a strong player in the right hands. In the wrong hands it get's killed pretty quickly. I flew the F/A -18 C Hornet. I didn't have the thrust-to-weight ratio of the F-16 (that means I was relatively heavier). If I could manage my energy well I could defeat the F-16 head-to-head in 1 v 1. If I got in trouble and had altitude I could use my weight to an advantage and go down-hill. Often, the Falcon driver would try to get out by going vertical. I could go vertical too and would hang out and wait for him to top-out and kill him with a Sidewinder.
Along your same point the A/4 would probably be in the top 3 or 4 in history for mission variance, utility, longevity, and ease of maintenance. It's just that the A/4 is an OLD aircraft. The idea of sending it into combat against contemporary aircraft is absurb. The Argies were outmatched during the Falklands/Malvinas war but only by about a generation. Now, there is easily 2 and probably 3 generations between the A/4 and modern combat aircraft (and more importantly their amaments). If the Argies had bombs and missiles that had actually worked during the scuffle they would have done much more damage to the Brits probably to the point of a stalemate.
All in all, the A-4 Skyhawk was my favorite aircraft to fly. I just wouldn't want to go into combat with it.