Though I will buy that logic but partially.. Looking at the LCA program it was conceived in the 90s and that time you had a better growth rate than us and you had access to all techs in the world, thanks to uncle Sam and you could have done some thing but you didnt. + your requirement is different than us. You wanted a fighter but we wanted an industry. so dont call it gamble but an informed decision!
About outside help, we didnt want to take outside help at the beginning and I would call it good in way because help can teach you the art but not the science behind it. we struggled and so did LCA.
But just dont measure the outcome with the success of LCA which eventually it will be, but look at what we got today. we have lined up an industry which can produce fibre materials to MFDs to radars to EW suite, I am not adding the design and aerodynamics...So we have achieved our goal to 80% level. we have a set industry, a set workforce and experienced people now.
Where do we go from here, well you are educated enough estimate. + LCA did suffer a lot from sanctions post nuke test, deduct those years and get the revised timeline.
