Aerospace fair: Russia presents new fighter jet


Status: 07/20/2021 6:49 p.m.

In the past few days, pictures of a new Russian fighter jet, most of which were still veiled, have been circulating online. Now the machine called “Checkmate” has been presented in Moscow.

By Stephan Laack, ARD Studio Moscow,
currently Cologne

With a countdown and an elaborately designed advertising clip that looked like an action thriller, today’s “unveiling” of the new plane was advertised. The stealth jet had been announced as a fundamentally new military aircraft. It should go into series production in the coming years. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he is more difficult to locate on the radar and also has a high flight performance. In Russia there is still nothing comparable for the fighter plane, said the Kremlin chief.

Exact technical details are not yet known. Oleg Panteleew, one of the organizers of the MAKS aerospace trade fair, was able to reveal so much: “This is a new combat aircraft with a wide range of uses. It is not just an interceptor. It can destroy air targets and also carry out attacks on land and sea targets without any problems . ”

“The future belongs to unmanned aerial vehicles”

Over 250 companies from more than 50 countries are represented at the Moscow Aviation and Space Salon. This year’s innovations cover a broad spectrum: from regional aircraft to new electric and hybrid drives, modernized helicopters and supersonic passenger planes.

In his opening speech, Putin emphasized the enormous development potential of the Russian aviation industry. He highlighted an area that he believes is particularly important: “MAKS is looking to the future, and the future belongs to unmanned aerial vehicles and robotic systems, the use of artificial intelligence in aviation,” he said. “All of these directions are also widely represented at the air show.”

Armed drones are being used more and more frequently in military conflicts, for example recently by the Azerbaijani side in Nagorno-Karabakh. Unmanned aerial vehicles are also becoming increasingly important for the delivery of goods such as medicines in areas that are difficult to access.

Also on the subject of aviation commercialization

Space travel is also an integral part of the fair. With this year’s partner country Kazakhstan, Russia is working in particular on the development of environmentally friendly launch vehicles, stressed Putin. And the head of the Russian space agency Roskosmos, Dmitri Rogozin, emphasized the need to open up to the commercialization of space travel, as it is currently being promoted by the billionaires Branson, Bezos and Co.

But now, in an environment where the whole world is moving towards clear commercialization of space activities and the space services market has clearly grown, we are not just going to watch. Therefore, one focus of our exhibition is on our ability to process the results of space activities and convert them into a commercially sought-after product.

The MAKS will last until July 25th. Up to 30,000 visitors are expected every day.

Putin opens the 15th MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon

Stephan Laack, WDR, July 20, 2021 5:54 p.m.



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