@initial_d
Kita tidak akan pernah masuk hitungan sampai kita bisa buat alutsista paling canggih dengan tangan sendiri.
Keep buying and suppose one day the maker embargoing us (again) or refuse to sell for some bogus reason, what can we do? ... way too late to start the fighter program when it happen bro. Mereka sudah generasi 6 kita generasi 1 aja boro2.
Knowing how to make fighter means we can improve it, develop it further, tailoring it to suit our needs and we have the advantage of secrecy since we have our own recipe.
Our goal right now is to be able to make our own fighter (of whatever gen) first, not to challenge the superpowers and have a race with them. Not today, not in a near future.
Superpowers will always sell a lesser version and save the best for themselves. If we still depending on buying, we can only have 6th gen when US or Russia or China already have 7th or even 8th gen, especially when we are not allied with them. But if we know how to make by ourselves, -with a strong will and hardwork- we can build our own on par with them.
I know it is not easy but it is not impossible either. Don't look at failed example but look at the successful ones. Have faith.