At the Dubai Airshow, Russia said on Monday (15) that it is already producing the first two prototypes of the Su-75 Checkmate, its new stealth fighter. The announcement was made during the fighter's first presentation abroad, which featured even with a perfume, also called Checkmate.
Both aircraft are being manufactured at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO). The plant is also responsible for producing the Su-57, Su-35 and Su-30SM.
The information was confirmed by Yuri Slyusar, director general of UAC, a state-owned conglomerate that owns Sukhoi and other aeronautical design studios in Russia.
“I would like to point out that the factory in Komsomolsk has started to build some prototypes for the initial batch”, Yuri told reporters during the presentation of the Su-75 in Dubai. According to Aviation Week, UAC also expects greater UAE involvement in the project. However, Abu-Dhabi already has an interest in the F-35.
The Su-75 is aimed at export. Despite Russia having suggested that it could acquire the fighter as well, countries such as India, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates themselves were identified as potential customers. according to agency Tass, Rostec (which owns UAC) met with the Russian Ministry of Defense to discuss selling the fighter to Moscow.
“They wanted to have some, of course. We recently discussed with the minister [of defense] that they need to present the mission requirements, informing the configuration they are looking for in the jet”, said Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec, at the Dubai Airshow. “The setup we made now was funded by us and the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.”
Chemzov also hinted that Russia could acquire the unmanned version of the stealth fighter. According to him, Checkmate “can be converted into a UAV. There is a lot of interest in UAVs right now.
New promotional video for the SU-75
Also on Monday, Rostec published a new promotional video for the Su-75.
https://youtu.be/0z-JI5m93hk
The video contains some interesting images, such as the F-35 “in the crosshairs” of the Su-75, a fly that raises dust on F-16 and F-4 Phantom fighters and the unmanned variant of Checkmate itself. The aircraft is also seen escorted by an F-15 and a Flanker Family fighter.
At the Dubai Airshow, Russian authorities reinforced other details of the aircraft. The Su-75 should fly in 2023 and enter service in 2026. The fighter will be able to reach Mach 1.8, will have a payload of 7,4 tons and a range of 2900 kilometers. According to the UAC website, the Su-75 will also be able to carry cannons in its internal compartments, for use against ground targets.
