Russia has recently unveiled one of its newest additions to its military arsenal. Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced a new class of stealth fighter jet as the country continues to boost its own military arsenal.
Putin attended the annual MAKS show this week to oversee the grand introduction of a prototype of the new Sukhoi fifth-generation fighter jet. Aviaport analytical agency head Oleg Panteleyev said the jet, also known as Checkmate is claimed to rival the US F-35 stealth fighter jets. Russan officials expect the jet to be ready for use in 2023 and over 300 more units of this kind of jet are set to be produced over the next 15 years.
“Light-class fighter jets are more in demand in the world than heavy-class ones — they are cheaper and more suitable for states that don’t have large territories,” said Panteleyev.
The Sukhoi fighter jet is being produced by Kremlin-backed company Rostec. The jet claims to be able to travel twice the speed of sound and can be converted to fly on autopilot or unmanned. The unveiling of the new jet also came with a provocative message, featuring footage from the recent standoff that occurred between Russia and the United Kingdom at the Black Sea.
Rostec head Sergei Chemezov said that the price per jet is expected to be around $25 to $30 million. Demand for the jet is also expected to be high in the Middle East and Asia.
“Our aim is to make the cost per flight hour as low as possible to make it economical, not only to buy but also to operate,” said United Aircraft Corporation head Yury Slyusar.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin also recently announced that Putin and outgoing German chancellor Angela Merkel have come to an agreement with regards to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is nearing completion. Putin and Merkel spoke on the phone this week to discuss the project, following the publication of the agreement between the US and Germany.
“The leaders are satisfied with the approaching completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline,” said the statement from the Kremlin. “The Russian president noted the consistent commitment of the German side to the implementation of this project, which is exclusively commercial in nature and aimed at strengthening the energy security of Germany and the European Union.”