It sucks tremendously. Fighters were once integral to success now it’s the opposite. Think of it: 50% less effective at defense building damage, but the same dumb flight pattern in which they hit the intended target, fly past it into unintended territory, swimming in destruction before circling back with a sliver of health and zero chance of second use. Look at what they’re up against: for the advance player, you’re attacking bases with fully developed machine gun towers (x5), towers (x8), and air defense guns (x4), not to mention SAMs, GCI radars, castles, and town centers who can also take a wet bite out of a fighter’s ass.
If you want to destroy defense troops with them, now you have to wait until troops have made their way out of elaborate base constructs for fighters to serve their new purpose; by that time you’re halfway through your attack period. And with paratroopers being vulnerable to all of the above + anti-tank guns (imagine that), it‘s virtually duck season on all air troops.
Who asked for this? No one.