"The first flight of the fifth-generation fighter Checkmate is planned for 2023, serial production — in 2026," Slyusar said at the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, simultaneous production of several cutting-edge fighter jets has already been started by a plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in Russia's Far East region, according to the official.
"The Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant has started building several Checkmate [fighters] at the same time," Slyusar announced.
The Checkmate is a fifth-generation light fighter jet, developed by the Sukhoi designer bureau (part of state corporation Rostec) and first unveiled at the MAKS-2021 international aviation and space salon in the Moscow Region in July.