DUBAI, November 13. /TASS/. Moscow is ready to discuss cooperation on the new Checkmate light tactical aircraft with interested parties, a source in Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation told TASS.
The Checkmate light tactical fighter plane developed by the Sukhoi Aircraft Company (part of the United Aircraft Corporation) was unveiled at the MAKS 2021 international airshow held in the suburban town of Zhukovsky outside Moscow. The new combat plane was introduced to foreign parties at the Dubai Airshow 2021 in the United Arab Emirates. Production on a pilot batch of the aircraft is expected to begin in 2026.
"Regarding the Checkmate aircraft, we can say that we are open to dialogue and cooperation with partners on this project in various formats that are mutually beneficial," Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation told TASS at Dubai Airshow.
Key interested parties have already gotten acquainted with the aircraft, even getting the chance to sit in the pilot’s seat, the service added.
The Dubai Airshow is one of the world’s largest aerospace exhibitions, held biannually. Russia has been a participant in the Dubai Airshow since 1993. This year, 20 national pavilions at the Dubai Airshow will showcase over 180 aircraft made by more than 1,400 manufacturers. The Dubai Airshow 2023 is running from November 13 through 17.