Russia unveils new fighter, Putin hails country's air power

Russia has presented a prototype of a new fighter jet that features stealth capabilities and other advanced characteristics

MOSCOW -- With much fanfare, Russian aircraft makers on Tuesday unveiled a prototype of a new fighter jet that features stealth capabilities and other advanced characteristics. Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected the prospective warplane displayed at the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow. The new design has been developed by aircraft maker Sukhoi under the LTS program — a Russian acronym for the Light Tactical Aircraft. Its makers said the prototype is set to make its maiden flight in 2023 and deliveries could start after 2026. They said the new design could be converted to an unpiloted version and a two-seat variant.