Is Russia's Su 75 'Checkmate' Aircraft a Case of Vapor Marketing | Military History |
Before the su-75 checkmate debuted at the Dubai Airshow 2021 international aviation exhibition in the United Arab Emirates. Few statements are as likely to blow up the comments section online as "the F-35 is a trillion-dollar aircraft that can't dogfight" and "the Su-57 is not a fifth-generation fighter." The Russian Sukhoi Su-75 has the same potential to ignite a lively debate. But in a world where America is talking about retiring its oldest fifth-generation fighters and is about to test-fly its sixth-gen fighters, Russia is still talking about producing a low-end fifth-gen fighter by the end of the decade.
Much of what is known about the Su-75 comes from dramatic releases by the Russian company behind it - Rostec. But for now, the aircraft remains on the drawing board, and it is hard to see where funds will come from to develop it.
A worthy MiG-21 successor
Should the Su-75 ever be produced as advertised, it would be an interesting, cheaper, but still capable aircraft for countries with restrained budgets. It is billed as a fifth-generation fighter with stealth features, particularly in the front. It would be a worthy stealthy (or at least somewhat so) successor to the MiG-21 fleets around the world.
According to design, the Su-75 Checkmate has a maximum combat load of 7,400 kilograms and a flight range of 2,900 kilometers without refueling. The Checkmate's top speed is 2,200 kilometers per hour.
The Su-57 is more than 20 meters long and has a wingspan of 14 meters. Meanwhile, the Su-75 is more than 17 meters long and has a wingspan of nearly 12 meters. However, a big difference between these two aircraft models is that the Su-57 is a twin-engine fighter, while the Su-75 is a single-engine aircraft.
The aircraft applies stealth technology and is equipped with up to 5 air-to-air missiles at many different ranges or other types of weapons.
Checkmate is also equipped with a modern electronic air defense and suppression system, allowing the aircraft to avoid detection and destruction devices, along with phased antenna array radar.
RIA reported the debut price initial price tag would be around $30 million, which is far, far cheaper compared to most American and European fighter aircraft on the market. Rostec has stated that 300 units would be produced over the next 15 years. According to Defense Express, "Basically, it is a MiG-21 with improved stealthiness, digital systems, and precision-guided weapons integrated into its kit."
A call for international funding
While many aircraft are developed under top secret conditions - such as America's sixth-generation NGAD fighter, the Russian Su-57, and the Chinese Shenyang FC-31, the same is not true of the Russian Sukhoi Su-75. The Su-75 appears at military shows with promotional videos in a spectacularly dramatic fashion.
However, many outside observers are not impressed with the Su-75. What is displayed at the military shows is believed to be an elaborate mockup. It is the low-end fifth-generation fighter concept designed to be affordable to countries that can't buy America's high-end fifth-generation fighters (or are otherwise barred by the US from buying them).
Outside observes note that the Russian company behind the project, Rostec, does not have Russian government funding to develop it. Instead, the company is forced to make dramatic promotional videos and take its mockup to drum up interest and get other nations to invest in the idea to make it a reality.
notes the Su-75 is an exciting idea. If it could get the investment it needs, it could be an instrumental aircraft to countries unable to buy F-35s and the like. They also note that the Su-75 Checkmate already had a foreign buyer. But, crucially, that video was made over two years ago - before the Full-Scale Russian Invasion of Ukraine, and for the Russian defense industry, that was a completely different era.
Even so, Rostec is saying that development is progressing and "...the production of the first samples have begun" and that the Su-75 is in pre-production. According to Interfax, the initial flight for the aircraft was scheduled for 2023, then for 2024, with initial deliveries for 2026 to 2027. But this seems incredibly fast and extremely unlikely.
Russia's Su-57 first flew in 2010, and while it is in low-rate serial production now, it is still not seen in combat 14 years after it first flew. The Checkmate has not yet even flown. The National Interest reported in February 2024 that its first flight could still be years away. Rand states the optimistic projections for the Su-75 seem highly questionable - especially given the enormous challenges Russia has faced developing the Su-57 (which they say won't likely be fully operational until 2027).
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