It does depend on whether your self sufficiency comes at the expense of capability.

For most of the PRC’s history, it did. This is where India, with its greater access to global markets, has an advantage. Tejas is not coming at the expense of more capable platforms, those are in the pipeline as well. Frankly I don’t think China is as far ahead (in terms of planned/fielded capabilities, not self-sufficiency or numbers) as you seem to think they are. MMRCA is taking its time, but the closest PLAAF equivalent to Rafale is J-10B and that isn’t in production yet either.

As for India’s fighter self sufficiency program, I’d call it a disaster. They’ve been trying to become self sufficient in fighters since 1950s (HF-24 Marut and Ajeet). Yet in 2013, they’re still importing large numbers of foreign aircraft and have even reverted to importing such basic things as trainers.

One of India’s major problems is that they didn’t follow through and build upon the work done with HF-24, etc., which meant that they basically had to start over again with Tejas. And now you’re proposing they pull the plug again. Certainly the Indian effort has been haphazard and problems continue to the current day, the thing to do is fix those problems, not abandon the endeavour.

Nope, I did mention continue with AMCA. Also there’s indigenized PAK FA (FGFA).

Can’t do AMCA without the technology infusion from MMRCA, and the level of indigenisation associated with FGFA is not sufficient to move the industry forward.

In any case, AMCA is currently on hold and will hopefully be replaced by joint Indo-Russian LMFS including engine technology transfer.

The F-35 decision was premised upon the supposed wisdom of operating a single fast jet type. That rationale was thrown out the window when F-35 couldn’t deliver on its promises and had to be supplemented with Super Hornet. The decisions to acquire Super Hornet, and later to make the acquisition permanent, were sensible enough in a bureaucratic sort of way, but this ignores is how irresponsible and misguided the decisions to join the JSF program, and later to confirm F-35 as Australia’s next combat aircraft, were in the first place. Those decisions should never have been taken, and everyone knows why they were taken: because the nation under John Howard was fully committed to licking America’s balls and serving as its ‘junior sheriff’ (as G.W.B. put it) in the War of Terror.

Spying scandal sets back U.S. chances for fighter jet sale to Brazil

This article demonstrates just how schizophrenic the relationship between domestic politics and national security generally is — everywhere that is, not just in Brazil. Talk of an absence of trust in the United States on account of the Snowden revelations … wtf? You are talking of the nation that previously orchestrated a coup against the Brazilian government and installed a military dictatorship! Of course they are spying on you! Of course they are not to be trusted! Who the **** are these politicians who ever thought otherwise? They should be removed from office for gross incompetence. The norteamericanos are not your friends, will never be your friends. Nations do not have friends, only interests.

P.S. The French are spying on you as well. The Swedes … who knows what resources they can muster.

Improved!

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Also:

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Is there a comprehensive record of IAF aircraft accidents anywhere? I’m particularly interested in the number of MiG-29s lost to date.

Yeah, that actually looks good.