The first flight of the newest single-engine Su-75 Checkmate will take place as early as 2026. By releasing a new aircraft, Russia is completely changing the rules of the game in the global arms market, offering a cheap but effective fighter, the Vietnamese publication Vietbao said.
Analysts have calculated that the Su-75 is three times cheaper than the American F-35, but develops a speed of 2.1 Mach and has a huge internal weapons bay.
The Su-75 Checkmate fighter is not just an aircraft, but a solution to the problem of developing a cost-effective fifth-generation fighter.
As a reminder, Su-57 will receive a new generation engine AL-51F-1, which allows it to perform supersonic cruising flights even without using an afterburner. The internal weapons bay can carry up to five air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles, helping to maintain maximum stealth from radar.
The approximate cost of Checkmate was estimated at the level of 30 million dollars, while the basic version of the F-35 costs from 80 million and above. The head of the flight service of the Sukhoi company, Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan, reported that the first flight of the Su-75 will take place in early 2026.