I actually agree with this. India is so far behind China (and the world) when it comes to air power that it's not worth trying to import squadrons to try and catch up. They won't come in time, will be outdated and will be way too expensive.
Better to just build up asymmetric capabilities until India gets her house in order.
BRICS was never a military alliance though? Right now BRICS is just an annual economic forum. It's trying to morph into a multipolar political forum. BRICS, SCO, ADB, etc are just exercises in creating parallel institutions to western ones. Maybe an expanded BRICS will replace the UN in relevance.. that's a long ways off though.
Or the 3rd engines is a ramjet/scramjet for acceleration? Could be some engine for extremely high altitudes. Could also just be trialing a new engine. It's impossible to say.
From what I understand the newer Chinese engines are quite capable in performance. No idea on cycle life though.
It is a game changer. Keeping pace with adversaries in the conventional realm is incredibly important. It opens up options for mitigating lower levels of conflict beyond institgating a nuclear war. It also deters your adversaries from engaging in lower levels of conflict. If India is still relying on Mig-21s and sending in soldiers without armor or sights, why wouldn't China or a better equipped Pakistan feel tempted for limited war and land grabs a la Kargil?
Let me explain me.
WWIII if ever happens will last weeks or a few months at the most.
Considering China man power, they can field like India 200 to 500 million men.
What will be the most important weapon?
It will be Biological weapons.
these weapons are just for proxy wars.
Not even satellites are as important, the reality big wars are WMD wars.
These aircraft are not more than manned flying wings, very heavy, not maneuverable.
They are basically bombers that is the reason they say B-21 can replace NGAD aircraft since long range weapons and lasers are more important.
These aircraft will be beaten by more maneuverable fighters easily, but since they suppose to bring stealth to higher level and long range they are too heavy, basically are bomber size.
More weigh means higher loads, a 70 kilos man at 9 Gs weighs 630kg a 30 tones machines at 9Gs is 2700,00 kg load so the structure is fragile, a B-737 can not be used as a fighter and are G restricted, the faster you go the larger the turn radius and higher vertical tails are needed, these aircraft has no tails, but the NGAD or FAS do have guess why?