Images of the new Russian fighter, the Sukhoi Checkmate, are already circulating on social networks, which will be officially presented at MAKS 2021 on Tuesday (20). The images appeared on Instagram and Twitter this Sunday morning (18) and show the fighter – probably a mock-up – being prepared for the event.
Here it is the Sukhoi LTS "CheckMate"
(Images via @Сообщений / Paralay-Forum) pic.twitter.com/xKhyGS8lsM
- @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) July 18, 2021
ADVERTISING
Sukhoi LTS "CheckMate"
(Video via T. Me/istorijaoruzija) pic.twitter.com/5KWhVWSfU7- 香江 香江 (@louischeung_hk) July 18, 2021
The leak of images was also used by the Russian state company Rostec, which since Friday has “provoked” enthusiasts, specialists and others interested in the new aircraft, currently called Checkmate.
Wait for more details at midnight ⚡
On our YouTube-channel 👇🏻https://t.co/x55tjPeiuV
Or on the YouTube-channel of United Aircraft Corporation, and the page of the project https://t.co/mPWIBOLOAx pic.twitter.com/IabCRBDGbq
ADVERTISING — Rostec Сorporation (@Rostec_Russia) July 18, 2021
On Saturday (17) Rostec "provoked" again, showing a mirrored sensor of the new plane (similar to the EOTS system installed on the F-35 Lightning II) with the reflection of a combat ship, in reference to the recent incident with the HMS Defender , a British Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer, which received warning fire from the Russians while sailing in the Crimea region.
Aircraft black covers are very tempting, but we'd like you to focus on the details 😉#You accepted #rostec #maks2021 #check Mate pic.twitter.com/32rjELw4KN
ADVERTISING — Rostec Сorporation (@Rostec_Russia) July 17, 2021
Reddit s merged the first two leaked photos into one, giving a clearer view of the fighter. Check out the image below.
The Checkmate bears the number 75 in blue just behind the cockpit, and on the drift the license plate RF-00075. This may suggest that the new fighter will be designated Sukhoi Su-75. In the background, a Kh-59 cruise missile (designated AS-13 Kingbolt by NATO) can be seen on the ground. The armament has several variants, and can be guided by TV signals, radar or inertial navigation, in addition to being used by the Su-57, Su-35, Su-34, Su-30, Su-25 and Su-24
In yet another similarity to the US F-35, the jet will be single-engined. The 'Su-75' also has an air intake in the frontal section, below the cockpit, reminiscent of the configuration used by the Boeing X-32, a prototype that competed with the Lockheed X-35 during the t Strike Fighter program, which later gave origin of the F-35 itself.
Last Tuesday (13), the Rostec announced that a new aircraft would be presented on the first day of the International Air and Space Salon MAKS 2021, an event held annually at Zhukovsky Airport, on the outskirts of Moscow. On its website and YouTube channel, the state-owned company released a trailer and a countdown to the presentation of the plane, calling it Checkmate. On Thursday (15), the fighter was ed in Zhukovsky covered by black tarps and being towed to the structure where it will be presented to the public this week.
In May, an industry official revealed to TASS that Sukhoi was developing a new fighter fifth generation single engine. The source also gave details of the aircraft, saying the fighter would be optionally manned, would have thrust vectoring, super-maneuverability characteristics and a maximum take-off weight of 18 tonnes.
If it goes forward, the “Su-75” will be the first single-engine fighter developed by Russia since the MiG-23/MiG-27 Flogger and Su-17/Su-22 Fitter, both designed in the 1960s and deployed on a large scale. number by the USSR and other partner countries of the former communist bloc.
This story will be updated as more images and information are obtained.
