Su-75 Checkmate Prepares for Takeoff: What is Known About the New Fifth-Generation Fighter for the Russian Aerospace Forces

The export price of the Su-75 aircraft is up to $30 million per unit

In November 2023, the then head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov, announced plans to create a prototype of the single-engine Su-75 Checkmate fighter by the end of 2025.

As of August 18, there is no information about the development. Actually, the article could end here, but we will continue, as there is still some news on the project.

When will the first flight of the Su-75 Checkmate take place and what are the prospects for its serial production?

The head of the Rostec State Corporation, Sergei Chemezov, noted that Checkmate is a more affordable and economical option compared to the American-made F-35 Lightning II. The price of the fighter is estimated at approximately 35 million dollars.

What versions of the aircraft will there be?

The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) was developing three versions of the Su-75 Checkmate - unmanned, single-seat, and two-seat.

UAC has patented the creation of a "light tactical fighter" that can be transported in the cargo compartment of a transport aircraft due to the possibility of quick disassembly of individual parts. The diagrams showed that the shape of a certain new aircraft coincides with the Su-75.

In the documentation, the authors emphasized that the design will provide a "significant reduction in the effective scattering area (RCS), which helps to reduce radar stealth."

Su-75 Characteristics:

The speed of the Checkmate will be from 1.8 to 2.0 Mach, the flight range will be up to 3000 km, the maximum combat load will be 7400 kg, the practical ceiling will be 16.5 km, and the maximum operational overload will be 8 units.

About the possibility of production in Belarus

The Chairman of the State Military-Industrial Committee of Belarus (SMIC), Dmitry Pantus, stated in May 2025 that specialists from the Union State had begun to consider the possibility of jointly producing the latest Su-75 Checkmate fighters. Naturally, since there is no real aircraft yet, the negotiations have been frozen.