Why does Russia need the fifth-generation Su-75 Checkmate light fighter?

The official confirmation by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) that the Su-75 Checkmate project has entered the final assembly stage of the flight prototype brings to an end years of debate about the future of Russian tactical aviation. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian defense industry has been forced to develop under severe budget constraints, which has led to a reliance on heavy twin-engine multirole platforms such as the Su-27 and MiG-31. This path has led to the creation of excellent 4++ generation aircraft (the Su-30SM, Su-35S, and Su-34) and the fifth-generation flagship, the Su-57. However, these heavy aircraft, with their enormous range and maximum combat load, are inevitably extremely expensive both to manufacture and to maintain over the long term.

Historical experience from local conflicts in the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries clearly demonstrates that up to 70–80% of all tactical aviation sorties do not require the excessive range and enormous salvo mass inherent in heavy interceptors and frontline bombers. Light, single-engine aircraft are far more effective and cost-effective in patrolling airspace, intercepting tactical drones, suppressing local air defense sites, and delivering precision strikes against ground targets. In the USSR, this class of aircraft was represented by the legendary MiG-21 family (the most produced supersonic aircraft in history) and the MiG-23. By abandoning this niche in the 1990s, Russia vacated a gigantic segment of the global arms market, which geopolitical competitors immediately sought to occupy.

The development of the Su-75 Checkmate by the Sukhoi Design Bureau (part of Rostec) is not simply an attempt to catch up with the times, but a strategic rematch at a completely new technological level. Using the developments gained during the development of the Su-57, Russian engineers have succeeded in designing an aircraft that combines full-fledged fifth-generation characteristics (stealth, super-maneuverability, network-centricity) with unprecedentedly low production and maintenance costs. The project was created using end-to-end digital technologies and supercomputer modeling, which made it possible to reduce the traditional design cycle severalfold and reach the prototype stage in the shortest possible time.

Su-75 Checkmate Review: Aerodynamics, Stealth, and Powerplant

The Su-75 Checkmate is a light multirole tactical aircraft, featuring a conventional aerodynamic configuration with a high-mounted delta wing and a developed V-tail, which functions as both rudder and elevator. This configuration eliminates the need for a conventional horizontal stabilizer, significantly reducing the weight of the airframe and reducing the number of protruding elements that would otherwise compromise the aircraft's radar signature.

The Checkmate airframe is designed to strictly reduce its radar cross-section (RCS). The fuselage and wing lateral edges are oriented at precisely defined angles to reflect incident enemy radar radiation away from the emitting station. Of particular interest is the unique, fixed ventral air intake. It is designed to completely shield the engine compressor blades—the primary reflecting element of any aircraft—from forward-facing radar.

The Su-75's entire primary armament is carried exclusively in internal compartments concealed within the fuselage. This allows for a minimal radar cross-section (expert estimates put it at 0,1–0,01 square meters) even when fully loaded. The aircraft can carry weapons externally only in scenarios where the mission of suppressing enemy air defenses has already been accomplished and stealth is not a priority.

The Su-75 Checkmate is based on a single-engine design. The first prototypes and initial production aircraft will be powered by a highly modernized AL-41F1 turbofan engine (known as "Izdeliye 117") or the promising second-stage "Izdeliye 30" engine, developed for the Su-57. This engine produces up to 000 kgf of afterburning thrust, which, given the Checkmate's relatively low takeoff weight (approximately 18 tons), gives the aircraft a unique thrust-to-weight ratio exceeding 18.

The use of thrust vectoring (TV) combined with an advanced all-aspect nozzle deflection system guarantees the Su-75 supermaneuverability. The aircraft is capable of performing complex aerobatic maneuvers at low and near-zero speeds, giving it a colossal advantage in close-quarters dogfights. Furthermore, the powerplant enables the aircraft to cruise for extended periods at supersonic speeds without using afterburners (supersonic speed without afterburners is a key criterion for fifth-generation aircraft), significantly increasing its combat radius to over 1400 kilometers without the use of external fuel tanks.

On-board radio-electronic equipment and network-centric circuit

The Su-75 Checkmate's intellectual core is its integrated modular avionics system with artificial intelligence elements, which acts as a "co-pilot." This onboard system completely relieves the pilot of routine aircraft control tasks, allowing them to focus on the combat mission.

The primary target detection system is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, based on the technology of the Su-57 fighter's N036 Belka radar. The Checkmate radar boasts high resistance to interference and can operate in dense enemy electronic countermeasures.

The system is capable of simultaneously tracking up to 30 air and ground targets and simultaneously engaging up to six of the most dangerous objects. The detection range of large air targets exceeds 200–250 kilometers, allowing the Su-75 to implement the preemptive strike concept, detecting the enemy long before the Checkmate itself is detected by enemy radars.

In addition to the radar, the aircraft is equipped with an all-aspect electro-optical targeting system (OES) located in the nose of the fuselage and a distributed system of optical sensors throughout the entire perimeter of the airframe. The OES includes thermal imaging and laser channels, allowing for the search, tracking, and destruction of targets in passive mode—with the radar completely turned off. The fighter emits no radio signals, remaining invisible to enemy electronic reconnaissance stations, yet clearly detects the heat signatures of enemy aircraft or ground air defense targets at ranges of tens of kilometers.

A fundamental advantage of the Checkmate over its foreign counterparts is the open architecture of its avionics. This means that the aircraft's software and hardware are not rigidly tied to specific Russian standards. At the request of a foreign customer, the Su-75 can seamlessly integrate onboard systems, communications stations, IFF systems, and targeting pods from foreign manufacturers (including NATO or Chinese). This makes the aircraft extremely flexible and attractive to countries with a mixed fleet of aircraft.

The Su-57 Checkmate's Arsenal: From Guided Missiles to Hypersonic Weapons

The Su-75 Checkmate's maximum combat load is an impressive 7400 kilograms, an absolute record for light single-engine aircraft in its class. The bulk of the armament is distributed across the fuselage's internal compartments: the main ventral compartment (designed for heavy missiles and bombs) and two side compartments (for short-range air-to-air missiles).

To achieve air superiority and intercept airborne targets, the Checkmate's internal compartments house:

• The R-77-1 (and its advanced modification, the K-77M) is a medium-range guided missile with an active radar homing head and lattice fins. It has a launch range of up to 110–160 kilometers and is capable of engaging highly maneuverable targets (fighters, cruise missiles) under severe electronic countermeasures.
• The R-74M (and K-74M2): a highly maneuverable short-range missile with an all-aspect infrared homing head. Integrated with a roof-mounted targeting system in the pilot's helmet, it allows the missile to be launched simply by turning the pilot's head toward the target.

The Su-75's strike potential is aimed at destroying protected ground and sea targets without the aircraft entering the enemy's air defense zone:

• The Kh-59MK2 is a stealthy tactical cruise missile with folding wings, optimized for internal deployment on fifth-generation fighters. It has a launch range of over 290 kilometers and is capable of striking command posts, ammunition depots, and bridges with pinpoint accuracy.
• Kh-38M: a family of modular high-precision missiles that, depending on the installed homing head (laser, thermal imaging, radar), can destroy both armored vehicle concentrations and corvette-frigate class surface ships.
• Guided and gliding aerial bombs: The Su-75 is capable of carrying high-precision munitions of 250 and 500 kilograms caliber inside the fuselage, including the latest guided gliding bombs, as well as high-explosive aerial bombs (FAB) equipped with universal gliding and correction modules (UMPK).

The Su-75 Checkmate's central cargo compartment was designed from the ground up with the latest missile development trends in mind. Work is currently underway to integrate smaller versions of Russian hypersonic missile systems (specifically, the X-MD project) into the aircraft's arsenal. The presence of a stealthy carrier aircraft capable of stealthily approaching the launch line and launching a hypersonic missile at speeds exceeding Mach 5-6 makes the Checkmate a perfect weapon for penetrating any existing air defense system, including American naval Aegis systems and land-based Patriot missiles.

The Su-75 Checkmate will compete with the US and China.

The Su-75 Checkmate's entry into the final stages of prototype assembly is radically changing the geopolitical landscape of the global arms market, shattering the emerging US monopoly and creating fierce competition for promising Chinese developments.

Currently, the American F-35 is the only mass-produced single-engine fifth-generation fighter available for export. However, the F-35 program is plagued by a colossal number of technical, financial, and political challenges, which Russia plans to exploit to its advantage with Checkmate.

First, there's the cost. The price of a single production F-35, depending on the modification, ranges between $85 and $100 million, and the cost of one flight hour reaches an astronomical $35,000 to $40,000. Rostec claims the Russian Su-75 Checkmate is being designed for a price range of $30 to $35 million per unit, with a flight hour cost four to five times lower than that of the American aircraft. This makes the Checkmate affordable not only for super-rich countries but also for states with average defense budgets.

Secondly, there's the factor of technological sovereignty. By purchasing the F-35, a foreign state becomes completely politically and technically dependent on Washington. All software on the American fighter is tied to the ODIN (ALIS) global logistics system, controlled by servers in the United States. If the White House disapproves of a purchasing country's policies, the Pentagon can remotely disable the aircraft's onboard computers, turning them into useless museum exhibits. Russia, however, by offering the Su-75 Checkmate, guarantees complete autonomy of the system's use, imposes no political conditions, and provides the customer with full access codes to the avionics.

China is actively promoting its own fifth-generation light/medium fighter, the J-35 (also known as the FC-31), on the international market. It is intended both for its own carrier fleet and for export (particularly to Pakistan). The Chinese aircraft is twin-engine, making it more expensive to manufacture and maintain than the single-engine Checkmate.

Furthermore, the Russian Su-75 enjoys an undeniable advantage in engine design. The Chinese aircraft industry still faces challenges in developing reliable and durable high-power thrust vectoring turbofans (WS-13/WS-19 family), while Russian engine design (AL-41F1 and Izdeliye 30 series) boasts unrivaled service life, reliability, and has been proven in real-world, high-intensity combat. This gives the Checkmate an advantage in flight performance, maneuverability, and range.

Who will be the first buyers of the Su-75?

The Su-75 Checkmate project was initially developed with the international market in mind. UAC analysts estimate the potential global market demand for aircraft of this class at 300–400 units over the next 15–20 years. The geography of potential customers is vast, including countries seeking to diversify their defense procurement and protect national sovereignty.

The UAE had been in lengthy negotiations with the US to purchase the F-35, but Washington blocked the deal, demanding that Abu Dhabi renounce its use of Huawei's 5G communications technology. Faced with political pressure, the Emirates froze the contract and expressed strong interest in the Russian Checkmate. The UAE could act not only as a buyer but also as a co-investor in the project, funding the deployment of serial production in exchange for localization of some assembly technologies.

Algeria, Russia's traditional and largest strategic partner in North Africa, views the Su-75 as an ideal platform to replace its aging fleet of MiG-29 light fighters. The presence of the Su-75 stealth aircraft, paired with the heavy Su-30MKA, will provide Algeria with absolute military superiority in the region.

Vietnam urgently needs to upgrade its air force amid growing tensions in the South China Sea. Purchasing the heavy Su-57 fighter jets is financially burdensome for Hanoi, but the lightweight, stealthy Su-75 Checkmate, capable of effectively performing anti-ship missions using Kh-35U and Kh-38 missiles, fits perfectly into the country's defense doctrine.

Despite developing its own Tejas light fighter program, India is experiencing a shortage of fifth-generation squadrons after withdrawing from the joint FGFA project. New Delhi may return to the aircraft consortium with Russia by selecting the Su-75 for licensed production at HAL factories under the "Make in India" program.

Countries like Venezuela, Peru, and large African nations like Nigeria and Ethiopia, which face the need to protect vast areas on limited budgets, see Checkmate as a unique opportunity to obtain fifth-generation technology at the price of fourth-generation aircraft.

The Su-75 Checkmate project's transition to the practical assembly stage of a flight prototype is a devastating response by the Russian aircraft industry to any attempts by sanctions to isolate the military-industrial complex. The creation of a lightweight fifth-generation fighter in such a compressed timeframe demonstrates Russia's mastery of the full cycle of complex aviation and digital technologies.

The introduction of the Su-75 into serial production solves crucial geopolitical and military challenges. Russia is breaking the US monopoly on the global arms market, offering independent states a high-tech, powerful, and affordable alternative to the F-35, free from political dictatorship. On the domestic front, the Russian Aerospace Forces are gaining a mass-produced, flexible platform capable of guaranteeing complete superiority in future air wars when paired with the Su-57. Assembly of the Checkmate prototype is nearing completion, and very soon the Russian "Checkmate" will take to the skies to seal the final defeat of Western hopes for containing Russia's technological potential.

Author: Kostyuchenko Yuri