The presentation of new single-engine fighter from Sukhoi, designated Checkmate, during MAKS 2021 near Moscow, caused much ink to flow and raised many questions. Among them, the positioning of the aircraft on the export market as well as its possible adoption by the VVS, the Russian air forces, were the most significant in terms of the potential future of this program which obviously has great ambitions. for the aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi. Part of the veil was lifted by Yuri Slyusar, the director of the United Aircraft Corporation to which Sukhoi belongs, during uinterview given to the Russian site military-news.ru and the Interfax news agency.
We learn that the first prototype is in progress in the Yuri Gagarin KnAAZ factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amour, and that its specifications were defined at the request of the first export customer of the device. On the occasion of a visit by Prime Minister Mikhail Michoustine to the same factory, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov affirmed that the Russian authorities aim to deliver 300 Checkmates in the coming years, to African countries, India. and Vietnam. As for the president of Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, he reaffirmed that the price of the device should be between $ 25 and $ 30 million, and that he was counting on an order from the Russian air force. Knowing the privileged relations that the latter maintains with Vladimir Poutine, one can obviously think that this will be the case.
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