Pakistan Has a Strategy Problem, Not a Money Problem

Is India really buying the Russian Su-57 "Felon"? Bilal Khan and Arslan Khan open by unpacking why the India–Russia FGFA program collapsed after nearly two decades, why Moscow's new offer is suddenly so generous, and why the Su-57-vs-Rafale fight is driven by industrial revenue-share politics as much as by capability.

The conversation then widens into the real lesson of the JF-17 — the RD-93 engine, dependence on China, the PLAAF order that never came, the markups that forced Pakistan to build its own munitions, the true cost of CPEC, and why Ukraine is the partnership model Pakistan should have pursued years ago. It closes on the strategic stakes of India's looming nuclear breakout and a look ahead to Woot-Tech's rocket-assisted-takeoff test.

⏱️ Chapters00:00 Is India actually procuring the Su-57?00:30 The FGFA saga: two decades of Russia–India fifth-gen failure17:06 Why Russia needs India now (Ukraine, sanctions, co-production)20:30 Rafale vs Su-57: the IAF vs Indian-industry split23:30 What Pakistan should do: Beijing, Moscow & rare-earth leverage24:30 Russia vs Ukraine, from first principles26:19 The JF-17 / RD-93 engine and Pakistan's Ukraine workaround29:34 China isn't charity: who really profits from the JF-1736:05 The 200-jet PLAAF order that never came42:29 Egregious markups: the Range Extension Kit & MFD shakedowns45:00 NESCOM, the Air Weapons Complex & the Azb/Raad family46:18 CPEC, debt servicing and where Pakistan's money goes53:26 The China that used to help — and why it changed1:01:43 Ayub Khan, the 1960s nuclear fuel cycle & the mindset trap1:09:11 Ukraine's hidden industrial base and Firepoint1:19:49 Prioritising Ukraine without antagonising Russia1:22:14 India's nuclear breakout and global strike1:29:33 Next week: Woot-Tech's RATO test & Pakistan's private rocket sector

📖 Mentioned: Mansoor Ahmed, Pakistan's Pathway to the Bomb.🔗 More analysis at quwa.org

Defence Uncut is the first dedicated English-language Pakistani defence commentary podcast. New episodes weekly.

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Episoder(30)

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