The new single-engine fighter of the fifth generation Checkmate will be assembled at the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant (KnAAZ), which is a subsidiary of PJSC Sukhoi, Director General of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yuri Slyusar told Interfax.
“Checkmate fighter will be assembled here,” confirmed Shluzer to the agency.
As per the information from the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to the enterprise, KnAAZ has already begun work on the creation of the first prototype of a fighter for static tests. On Wednesday, the head of government inspected the workshops of KnAAZ.
The first full-size aircraft demonstrator of the single-engine fighter Checkmate was assembled at KnAAZ, which became the main novelty of the MAKS 2021 air show held in Zhukovsky. Currently the main focus of KnAAZ is the construction of fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft and 4 ++ Su-35 S multifunctional fighters.
Mishustin inspected the assembly shops for the production of these military aircrafts, climbed into the cockpits of the fighters, and talked with test pilots. In the final assembly shop, the head of government talked with interns – students of the Moscow Aviation Institute.
The new Sukhoi fighter Checkmate was presented on July 20 at the MAKS-2021 air show. It is planned that the plane will take off in 2023, and serial deliveries will begin in 2026. In the future, a two-seat and unmanned version will be created on the basis of a light tactical aircraft (LTS).
According to the developers, Checkmate will be able to travel up to 3 thousand km, accelerate to two speeds of sound and carry 7400 kg of combat load. It will be able to simultaneously attack up to six air, sea and ground targets, including attack drones and foreign fifth-generation aircraft.
The head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, estimated the cost of the new aircraft at $ 25-30 million. To reduce the cost, Checkmate will have commonality with the Su-35 and Su-57 fighters, said the head of the RF Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.
The volume of deliveries of the fighter for the next 15 years is estimated at 300 aircraft. The designers say that it should compete with the American F-35 Lightning II and the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen. The aircraft will be export-oriented, but the developers are counting on the order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.