A U.S. intelligence source said the service has given the next-generation Russian single-engine fighter jet, which will be unveiled at the MAKS 2021 Air Show on July 20, a new nickname.
Russian media reported that the new jet has been built by the Sukhoi plane-maker in a program of development of a light tactical fighter.
The new Russian combat aircraft’s official name is unknown, and there is no information about its capability and deployment prospects, but U.S. intelligence already called him Screamer.
The mock-up of the new fighter has a large chin-mounted air intake akin to the U.S.-made X-32 concept demonstration aircraft. The design of the air intake gives the aircraft a specific appearance, which is why it was nicknamed the Screamer.
The new single-engine fighter jet is reportedly similar to the U.S. F-35 stealth aircraft, and also absorbed the experience of Chinese partners with their FC-31 twin-engine, mid-size fifth-generation jet.
Several news outlets report that the fighter jet has been dubbed “Checkmate” by the Russian aircraft maker, Sukhoi, and is set to be presented at the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon in Zhukovsky on Tuesday.
In addition, earlier in 2020, some images of the new fighter jet leaked online. At a photo from the office of Yuri Borisov, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation was spotted a model of an unknown fighter, remotely resembling a hybrid of the Su-57 with Boeing’s X-32, featuring a large air intake under the nose of the aircraft.
