Pakistan has always confronted daunting odds, whether during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, when the full weight of the Soviet war machine and its local collaborators bore down on the region, or in its enduring rivalry with India, a neighbour vastly larger in economy, manpower and landmass. Survival in such an environment has never been about matching adversaries platform for platform. Instead, it has required cost-effective, carefully calibrated and exceptionally precise strategic choices.

This logic has long underpinned Pakistan’s defence planning, most visibly in the evolution of its air force. Despite limited numbers, the PAF has repeatedly sought advantage through selective technological superiority and a clear understanding of........

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