MOSCOW — A potential new Russian fighter plane will be unveiled during a Moscow air show that begins next week, according to Russian aviation manufacturers.
According to Russian media sources, the new jet was developed as part of a program to build a light tactical fighter by the Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer.
The new aircraft, unlike Russia’s newest Su-57 two-engine stealth fighter, is smaller and has only one engine.
The name of the new warplane is unknown, and little is known about its capabilities or deployment prospects.
The next Russian fighter plane looks to be aimed at the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, which entered service in 2015. Russia intends to sell the new planes to international clients in the future.
Following the announcement by Rostec, Russian plane spotters hurried to Zhukovsky to photograph the new plane, evoking memories of Cold War spies trying to catch a peek of the latest Soviet fighters at the heavily guarded airport that functioned as the country’s main military aviation test site.
Another teaser shot released on Rostec’s Facebook page on Saturday purported to show a reflection of a British type 45 destroyer in the new Russian warplane’s optical sensor, along with the words “See you.” “Black tarpaulin is appealing, but the details are always more intriguing,” Rostec remarked.
Putin said that even if Russia had sunk the British warship, the event would not have sparked a global battle since the West understands it can’t win such a war, a bold comment that appeared to suggest his determination to increase the stakes if a similar incident occurs again.
After Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s the Crimean Peninsula, accusations of Russian interference in elections, hacking attacks, and other irritants, the Kremlin has made modernization of the country’s armed forces a top priority amid a bitter strain in relations with the West, which have sunk to post-Cold War lows.