Btw those winloong purchase is not that bad after all if you think about it. If its being used for COIN ops there will less risk of sanction, if we are using western product there might be a possibility that their govt get pressured by some group to sanction/ embargo us.
If i may recall that is one of the major point consideration when it was decided to acquire them ... Along with
1. Political " soft " gesture as an appeasement tactic so we wouldn't been seen as an antagonistical entities ( which obviously it doesn't work !! )
2 . The only platform we could have within the approx budget allocated in that timeframe . ( Everybody's share and cut was allready covered ) not to mention , forget about Israelis stuff . Even our relation with the western power was lukewarm at best during that moment .
3 . Somehow the top brass get some funny ideas on how to make some rain of steel scenarios could be implemented without some concern about spare-part and munition continuation issues plaguieng them in the aftermath . If god's forbid some political decision was forced and the demonstration of said weapon system was to be occured and executed .