Check or raise? (Opinion)
Sukhoi unveiled a prototype of Checkmate at the MAKS 2021 air show in July. (Photo: Rostec)
It is less than a month since Sukhoi unveiled its Checkmate light tactical fighter at the MAKS air show in Zhukovsky and there is still much disquiet about who will buy it. Now the fanfare – including an inspection of the aircraft by Russian President Vladimir Putin – has subsided, interest turns to whether a new fifth-generation jet, with a noticeably modest price tag of $25 million to $30 million, can convince export customers to place orders.
Banking on such business looks to be a huge risk for Sukhoi, which does not need reminding that the Su-57, first launched
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