Problem is that we don't find organic R&D, especially for the sake of learning about the tech. E.g., we won't have a serviceable rocket motor for a good AAM or SAM for years, but if we stick with the R&D we'll get there.
In general Pak military doesn't respect the R&D process. E.g., they're still clueless about what India gained with Tejas (i.e. flight control tech, composites, avionics, design and testing, etc), yet fixate on its timelines.
If we had pursued Sabre II on our own, even as an F-7 variant, we too would hit delays and tech issues. Yet we could've learned a lot about aircraft design, integration, building aerostructures and so on. It might never even enter service, but we would've gained much, much more IMO from an R&D PoV versus JF-17.
Imagine how much toxic culture and lack of vision cost us re: our ballistic missiles. IIRC we had a true indigenous project back in the 1980s, and, expectedly, it struggled hard...yet unlike India, we never stuck to it, and we let generals misdirect R&D attention.
@JamD @SQ8 @Falcon26
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