No foreign applications for the Russian light tactical Checkmate fighter jet have arrived so far, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) Dmitry Shugaev told reporters.

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Checkmate fighter unveiled at MAKS-2021 (Picture source: TASS)

Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov earlier said the Checkmate was in demand in the global arms market. “The aircraft of the class are in a high demand in the global arms market,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

Checkmate is of interest for the countries that cannot afford F-35 Lightning II for 120 million dollars. Rostec estimates Checkmate’s cost at 30 million dollars.

Checkmate is a stealth aircraft that fires air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. The payload is over seven tons. The fighter jet is to make the maiden flight in 2023. Rostec plans to begin batch production in 2026.

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