Yep. In fact, South Africa's most valuable IP isn't even shown on Denel's marketing portfolios. It's actually all of the R&D work that had happened (and is still happening) at institutions like CSIR.
Pakistan has had every chance (especially in the last 4 years) to collaborate with CSIR to develop critical inputs for AAMs and SAMs (e.g., dual-pulse motor engines, seekers, etc), LACMs (e.g., miniature turbojet engines), and even start more complex work like R&D for an actual next-gen fighter.
In the mid-to-late 1980s, the PAF started work on Sabre II (which eventually resulted in the JF-17). Instead of approaching Grumman, imagine if they secretly co-funded the Atlas Carver? Imagine if we had kept Carver alive through the 1990s so that it could leverage RD-93s, Grifo-S, etc?
If we had applied the same competence and commitment of our nuclear program to aviation, we'd be celebrating the first prototype of Project AZM by now. Unfortunately, ZAB's 'socialist' policies and deeply entrenched corruption have kept our country several decades behind.
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