A few weeks ago, shortly after the presentation of the new Sukhoi light fighter designated Checkmate, Yuri Slyusar, the director of the United Aircraft Corporation and Sergey Chemezov, president of Rostec, had both given details on the program, its genesis and its ambitions. We thus learned that the hunter had been developed in equity by Rostec, and that a first export customer had already come forward, while the assembly of the first prototype would have already integrated the demands of this one. However, nothing was indicated as to a possible involvement of the Russian state itself in the program, even if Sergei Chemezov has repeatedly hinted that he hoped for an order from the Russian air force. The situation has apparently evolved since then, if we are to believe the statements of Dmitry Shugayev, the director of international technological cooperation, on the occasion of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) this Friday.
Indeed, according to him, the Checkmate program will be entirely financed by Russia itself, the necessary provisions having been made in this direction. In addition, and categorically, the latter has denies any international collaboration, nor even any negotiation around the program with a foreign partner, in complete opposition to the statements of the leaders of UAC and Rostec. This turnaround has puzzled many observers, especially since Dmitry Shugayev, as usual, was hardly verbose beyond these two announcements. However, this denial appears to be consistent with the strategy applied by Moscow in recent years in terms of international negotiations and development concerning weapons systems.
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