One would like to think there's a rational reason to do this. But it sounds very steam catapult. It sounds like somebody who hasn't grown a new neural connection since 1980 thought of this.

Why can't you just pull it out of the museum and get it ready to fly? Did anyone check if the unique fuel formulation this plane uses can still be produced at the quality level needed in the quantities needed? What about delivery and fuel handling?

But hey, we live in an age where you can start a whole Middle Eastern war without a plan. So who needs a plan just for one plane?