A known friend comes to your house and makes you an unusually favourable offer. You are initially taken aback and you are sceptical. To prove his point he brings the jet fighter in question to participate in your festival called Air show. True to his word, he show cases the capabilities of the jet, which performs very well. He has another friend who you don't get along with and the jet he has brought to your home defeats the other persons self made jet of the same category. Sportingly the crowd stands up and applauds your friend and his equipment.
So here in your house, the friend also exhibits an advanced Engine which can be used in your existent jets and also in his new jet. He further remembers and visits your production line to make a site visit. Turns out your production line already has much of the equipment needed to produce the jet he wants to sell. Some tool and die machines need to be made. Your friend agrees to complete ToT including the engine , and details of the new jet.
The engine he exhibits has already undergone extensive tests and production ready. It perfectly fits your modernisation programme for 259 jets. And for the twin engines of the new jet. He is already testing another advanced jet which he is prepared to give to you when it is production ready. He also offers you a partnership in a civilian jet manufacturing programme and to set up a separate production line for that.
Since both of you belong to the same club, your friend is willing to take Rupee payments. There is another new friend of yours who has not fulfilled an existing contract. He is supposed to have the best 5 gen planes in the world.( his claims). The jet is in the news for bizzare accidents like wheels not lowering on time, the cockpit canopy opening suddenly. The most bizzare of all, your two friends were supposed to engage in mock combat, but the new friend withdraws suddenly with no reasons mentioned. And he owes you a supply of 179 engines, running behind schedule , seriously affecting your defence capability. And you need to pay him in dollars.
The new friend is known to provoke proxy wars all over the world, he feels threatened by your neighbour who he considers his no 1 enemy. In another part of the world he forced his friend to fight a proxy war and ensured his complete destruction, including loss of money, lives, soil fertility, economy and he turned him into a basket case, and simply walked away. Who will you trust? I leave the judgement to you.
Tail Piece:The SU-57's appeal has increased because of the unique level of combat testing it underwent in the Ukrainian theatre, with operations including air defence suppression, air to air combat, and operations in heavily defended enemy airspace, as well as a range of precision strike missions using both internally and externally deployed missiles. The Indian Air Force, as part of it's assessment of an aircraft's performance, takes into account it's service record in the Russian Air Force before placing orders.
