I think I might have posted this, but did you guys think about it?
during a rapid war or a short war, a military needs assets as they are, not what will arrive(ie to be manufactured)
only a few critical defence equipments can be built in large enough quantities to make a difference which generaly are massed produced
in the hundreds/thousands such as
tanks
missiles
guns
and ammo for the guns and tanks.
fighter jets are complicated.
the most advanced nations can only build between 12-24 a year.
a dozen or more jets during a short war, ie via Pakistan/China or Bangladesh.
wont make a real difference, rather for the enemy its just another dust of sand
on the beach.
Aside for this, warships, and jets, have a huge manufacturing process.
the enemy can knock them out easily, if they want to waste
they're resources in doing so.
Its not what you will have, during a conflict.
its what you have,
the enemy is not going to wait around for you to get prepared.
for those that want to example WWII
think about the advanced technologies they dropped, ie TV guided bombs
in favor of hundreds of conventional bombs,
because it was easier to produce.
even the figher aircraft of WWII were designed in way that made them cumbersome
but easier to produce, and the enemy?
well during WWII
precision guided cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, GPS guided bombs didn't exist.
hence it was difficult to knock out factories.
but modern warfare has changed.
the reason nations develop in house fighter jets,
but military can opt for outside is because
of the advancement of commercial technologies,
that benefit the researching state. ie F-2 of Japan, and Avro of Canada.
And will India?
Yes ofcourse.
The entire reason the United States and Europe are willing to bid in MMRCA and such tenders is because if they don't sell,
the Indians can build their own in 10 years, quality maybe low.
but it'll do the job. and put a competitor on the Market.
thats why even TOT is possible.
Nothing to loose because the Indians will try to make their own if the can't buy,
a great example is the Akash, Tejas, and AAD
these allowed the United States and Europeans to overlook technological reasons for not selling,
because the Indians were close enough.