Putin gets sneak peek of ‘Checkmate’ stealth fighter jet

Zhukovsky, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin got a sneak peek on Tuesday of a next-generation stealth fighter jet dubbed "The Checkmate" ahead of the official unveiling later in the day.

A new Sukhoi stealth fighter is due to go on display at an annual airshow outside Moscow Tuesday, and Putin was given a first look, the Rostec defence and technology giant said. "The head of the Rostec state corporation, Sergei Chemezov, and the general director of United Aircraft Corporation, Yury Slyusar, showed Putin the new Checkmate fighter jet," Rostec said in a statement.

The aircraft was being kept in a hangar with the words "The Checkmate" written in large white lettering in English, according to an AFP photographer at the exhibition. Rostec describes the aircraft as a fifth-generation light single-engine fighter jet that incorporates "innovative solutions" including artificial intelligence.