Russia’s Su-75 Checkmate Fighter Dilemma Now Looks ‘Unfixable’

Summary and Key Points: Russia’s Su-75 Checkmate is an ambitious stealth fighter concept intended as an affordable competitor to the F-35.

-Debuted in 2021, this single-engine, fifth-generation jet promises advanced stealth capabilities and modern avionics tailored for countries unable to access Western stealth platforms.

-However, Russia’s war in Ukraine has severely impacted the economy, redirecting funds to sustain ground operations.

-This financial strain, coupled with technical challenges inherent in stealth technology, casts significant doubt on the Su-75’s near-term viability.

-Despite optimistic claims from Moscow, the Checkmate remains largely on the drawing board and unlikely to reach mass production or operational service anytime soon.

Why Russia’s Su-75 Checkmate Fighter May Never Leave the Ground

The Su-75, also known as the Checkmate, is a Russian fifth-generation stealth fighter concept jet showcased by Russia first in 2021. 

Developed by Sukhoi under the auspices of the United Aircraft Corporation, a Russian aerospace conglomerate, the Su-75 was introduced as a more affordable, “lightweight” stealth fighter. 

Marketed for export, Sukhoi presented the jet as an alternative to the F-35, mainly catering to countries that would unlikely buy the high-end American stealth fighter.

The single-engine design and promises of advanced stealth capabilities, modern avionics, and multi-role combat performance garnered significant attention during its debut.

Despite the ambitious claims surrounding the aircraft’s capabilities, many experts remain skeptical about whether it can genuinely rival the F-35, given its development’s technological and financial challenges.

The Su-75 Checkmate is marketed as a cost-effective fighter jet with a price tag theoretically much lower than the F-35. It aims to attract buyers from countries that need a stealth platform but cannot purchase the American F-35, which is limited to close allies of the United States.

Bravado from Moscow on Su-75 Checkmate 

“Despite the sanctions, the corporation continues to develop a fifth-generation tactical fighter. All of the aircraft’s components are at a good stage of development. The concept underlying the creation of the Su-75 assumes that this is not just a single aircraft, but a whole system of aircraft interacting with each other, of which it is one of the components,” Deputy General Director of United Aircraft Corporation Sergei Korotkov told RIA Novosti, a Russian wire service.

The Deputy General Director of UAC emphasized that, at present, the corporation “has customers who are looking to purchase aircraft in this class.” 

However, despite the cheery outlook for the fifth-generation jet, that project is unlikely to get off the ground anytime soon.

War in Ukraine

The ongoing war in Ukraine has upended the Russian economy. Injected with record levels of cash to sustain the Kremlin’s war effort in Ukraine is a boon to projects like the Su-75. However, that economic transformation into a wartime economy, with record defense spending, has been directed at producing missiles, drones, and artillery shells. 

These components of land warfare have taken precedence over other projects as the war grinds on. Stealth fighter development is notoriously expensive — look to the F-35, the most expensive military project in history. 

However, the costs of developing a stealth fighter like the Su-75 have been overshadowed by the need to sustain ground operations in Ukraine.

Furthermore, to keep the Kremlin’s war machine in motion, signup bonuses for the Russian military have skyrocketed, further eroding available capital for researching, prototyping, and testing projects like the Su-75.

However, that’s not to say that Russia has fully ended fight jet exports. Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander recently confirmed that Iran bought new Su-35 fighters from Russia. It’s further evidence of the burgeoning relationship between Moscow and Tehran.

The Fate of the Su-75 Checkmate? Unknown For Now 

The Su-75 remains on the drawing board for now. Despite hopes for Russia to field a challenger to current Western dominance of stealthy, fifth-generation aviation, the financial constraints imposed on Russia by the war in Ukraine, in tandem with the technical challenges inherent in developing stealthy aircraft, suggest that the Su-75 won’t enter mass production anytime soon, if ever. 

For now, at least, the jet is an aspirational project rather than a viable soon-to-market alternative to mature Western stealth fighters like the F-35.

About the Author: Caleb Larson 

Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.