Russia’s aerospace industry has a long and impressive history of design and development. During the Soviet era, Russian engineers continually pushed the boundaries of military aviation and forced their Western counterparts to work hard to maintain an advantage.
The modern era is another story, however, and Russia’s aerospace industry has stagnated. Nowhere is this more visible than in the Su-75 Checkmate.
Su-75: What it Is
Marketed as a lightweight fighter-bomber, the Su-75 is Russia’s response to the F-35 Lightning II. The JSC Sukhoi Company unveiled a mockup of the fighter at the 2021 MAKS Air Show. Designers billed the Checkmate as a supersonic, multirole, stealth fighter aircraft. Building on technologies from the Su-57 Felon, Russia’s fifth-generation air superiority aircraft is apparently meant to be marketed to international buyers as a cost-saving alternative to the F-35 and the Chinese J-31. Although final costs will be related to the number of orders, Sergei Chemezov, head of a major Russian defense contractor, estimates the aircraft will cost only $25 million to $35 million each, a far cry from the $120 million price tag of the Lightning II.
The Su-75’s Components & Capabilities
Much of the Checkmate’s design relates directly to its stealth abilities. Its weapons are housed in an internal bay, a prerequisite for modern stealth aircraft. Diverterless Supersonic Inlets help it achieve a top speed of Mach-1.8 without throwing back a large radar return. Finally, its unique, V-shaped tail made up of two ruddervators to control both pitch and yaw further reduces its radar cross section.
The Checkmate’s Flaws
Sukhoi has struggled mightily with the Su-75, leaving many analysts wondering if the Checkmate is simply a case of vapor marketing. Delays are contributing further to Sukhoi’s woes, as the company is already far behind on production of the air superiority fighter. Western sanctions have made it difficult for manufacturers to acquire machine tools, material, and specialized equipment such as semiconductors, all of which are essential to the manufacturing process.
Additionally, once-high demand for solid medium-weight fighter-bombers is dwindling, as more and more countries are leaning on lethal unmanned aerial vehicles to carry out attacks. Kyiv and Moscow have utilized combat drones throughout the war, and the 2021 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the first struggle to highlight the critical role armed UAVs can play in modern warfare.
What About the Su-75’s ‘Fifth-Gen’ Title?
Some experts have argued that the Checkmate may not even be deserving of the title “fifth-generation” if it is powered by a second-generation engine. According to a Rand Corporation Report, “Though designed to incorporate the second-generation Izdeliye 30 engine, current prototypes have been outfitted with an older engine. According to a former aircraft engineer for Sukhoi who later became an independent aviation expert, the 76 ‘operational’ models that the Russian Federation Air Force is expected to receive during the 2020s will not have the intended engine.”
With Russia under sanctions, the country is financially unequipped to develop newer jet engine models.
Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
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