I wish the americans would block the engine, or stall it for a few years so the deal finally collapses. Pakistan has for years been throwing billions of dollars away on questionable purchases, buying weapons that do nothing to offset the mil balance (HQ-16, frigates and corvettes, VT-4, the list could go on). It is almost like there are people trying to sabotage the defence budget every year.
Buying attack helicopters for 1.5 billion dollars is stupid for a country like Pakistan. PAF cannot attain air dominance over opponent's territory, and during such missions these attack helicopters will get shot down within no time. Notice how Azerbaijan's attack helicopters haven't undertaken offensive missions over karabagh, even after a month of warfare in which dozens of armenian air defences have been knocked out. Also notice how Turkey didn't employ the T-129 over Idlib in 2019. In both karabagh and idlib, the TB2s have done the CAS work and proven to be far more survivable.
Better options therefore exist for the same set of missions a T-129 fleet would perform. Bayraktar TB2 drones: extremely cheap, far more survivable and can be bought in much bigger numbers. Their ability to get past SAM systems is revolutioning drone warfare. And if you want to deliver a heavier punch, Chinese long range (~300 km) Guided MLRS systems can complement the TB-2 nicely.
Ideally, however, given the lessons learned in recent conflicts, the money should have actually gone into the purchase of SAMs, ATGMs, and NLOS guided missiles.
