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Updated November 2nd, 2021 at 17:33 IST

Russia's new fighter jet 'Checkmate' to go on display at Dubai Airshow in mid-November

Russia’s prototype of fighter jet featuring stealth capabilities among other advancements will be presented abroad for the first time at the 2021 Dubai Airshow.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Checkmate fighter
Image: AP | Image:self
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Russia’s prototype of a new fighter jet that features stealth capabilities among other advanced characteristics will be presented abroad for the first time at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, a source in the Russian Aircraft industry revealed to Sputnik on Tuesday. The source reportedly also said that Russia’s new single-engine fifth-generation stealth fighter Checkmate, which “sparked great interest abroad” will be presented to the world in the show slated to take place from November 14 to 18, 2021.

The news agency quoted the source as saying, “Checkmate sparked great interest abroad, and the UAE is an excellent platform for presenting the aircraft to a wide range of potential partners. It is planned to hold a number of closed presentations for delegations participating in the salon, as well as an open presentation for visitors and media representatives.”

Checkmate was first unveiled at the international airshow held at Zhukovsky International Airport, MAKS 2021 where the jet was showcased as a functional model. As per the report, the fighter jet would be assembled at an aircraft plant in Russia’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Russia’s Checkmate will be offered to foreign buyers. 

Putin inspected Checkmate in July

Russian President Vladimir Putin, as per AP, had already inspected the warplane’s prototype along with the fanfare at the MAKS 2021 International Aviation and Space Salon, which opened on July 20, 2021, outside Moscow. It is manufactured by the country’s aircraft maker Sukhboi under its LTS program which is a Russian acronym for the Light Tactical Aircraft. Reportedly, Checkmate’s makers have said earlier this year that the prototype was set to make its maiden flight in 2023 with deliveries starting in 2026. 

Moreover, Sukhboi has indicated that the new design could be further converted to an unpiloted version and a two-seat model. The prospective warplane is marketed under the project named Checkmate.

In terms of capabilities, the fighter jet has one engine and is designed to be smaller and cheaper than Russia’s latest Su-57 two-engine stealth fighter, which is also built by Sukhoi. The Associated Press has stated that the plane can fly at a speed of 1.8-2 times the speed of sound. Checkmate has a range of 3,000 kilometres and a payload of around 7,400 kilograms. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov has also voiced hope that Checkmate could be sold to India, Vietnam and African nations. He also said that foreign customers are expected to order as many as 300 such aircraft.

Image: AP

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Published November 2nd, 2021 at 17:36 IST

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