On Tuesday, Russia unveiled its new and capable Sukhoi "Checkmate" military aircraft at a plane shown in front of President Vladimir Putin.
Information on the design and capabilities of this fifth-generation fighter jet was provided at the Max-2021 spacecraft held in Zhukovsky outside Moscow.
This fighter jet is considered to be a competitor to a US military aircraft capable of concealing the F-35 and Russia plans to sell it to many countries in the world.
Checkmate is manufactured by state-owned Rostec and United Airlines.
The Russian government's intention seems to be to make this aircraft to be exported.
What is a "checkmate"?
According to available information, this Checkmate fighter jet is lighter than a two-engine Sukhoi Su-57 aircraft and can carry five aircraft missiles in different directions.
This aircraft is capable of launching a drone while in the air and carrying a total of 7.5 tons of weapons.
Checkmate requires a very short route to take off or landing which is considered to be a special feature of this aircraft.
The aircraft is designed as a new generation warplane with a single-engine and the use of modern technology is considered one of its main strengths.
The aircraft manufacturers claim that the latest technology used at Checkmate works as a co-pilot and will assist the pilot in combat situations.
According to the makers of this aircraft, it can hit up to six targets on land, air, or sea at the same time and is effective even in the face of major electronic interference.
Checkmate will cost around $ 25 to $ 30 million. After ground trials, the aircraft will make its first voyage in 2023 and Russia will begin selling it to various countries from 2026.
United Aircraft Corporation has said it plans to build 300 Checkmate aircraft over the next 15 years. According to the company, the number of 300 is estimated based on the needs of the customers of this aircraft.
Checkmate developers are also working to develop a version of this aircraft that will not require pilots
Many countries have expressed interest in calling it "Checkmate"?
The key question is, will India be among the buyers of this new military and spy aircraft of Russia?
There is no official information from the Indian side yet, but it is clear that the company that manufactures this military aircraft is looking at India as a buyer.
Checkmate developers recently released a test video before the launch of their aircraft. In this video, pilots of four countries are shown waiting for a new plane.
These four countries are - the United Arab Emirates, India, Vietnam, and Argentina. Because of the video, it is speculated that Russia is probably looking at these three countries along with India as a potential buyer for Checkmate.
But India's chances of buying a Checkmate fighter jet seem slim.
Checkmate is a single-engine fighter jet and India has already approved the purchase of 73 fighter jets and 10 light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1.
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is a fourth-generation single-engine aircraft manufactured in India by the Aircraft Manufacturing Agency (ADA) in partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in the country. India.
The LCA was officially named "Tejas" in 2003.
