India is not showing interest in the Russian single-engine fifth-generation fighter Su-75 "Checkmate", despite Moscow's active attempts to include it in defense negotiations, IDRW reports, citing industry sources. For the Indian Air Force, this aircraft remains a low-priority proposal.
The Su-75 was first unveiled in 2021 as an affordable export fifth-generation fighter. However, unlike the Su-57, which has already entered service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, the Su-75 has not yet made its first flight. For the Indian defense establishment, this is a critically important factor.
New Delhi's cautious approach is also due to historical experience: in 2018, India withdrew from the joint program with Russia, FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft), which was supposed to create a fifth-generation fighter based on the Su-57. The reasons were insufficient technology transfer, high cost, and doubts about the aircraft's real characteristics. India invested money in the project but never received a finished fighter. Therefore, Indian planners do not want to participate in another major development program until the Russian fighter's technologies mature. As noted in the IDRW article, India continues to bet on the Rafale – a French fighter with a proven combat reputation, and the indigenous Indian AMCA fighter program remains a central element of the country's future aviation strategy.