Russia has confirmed that a fighter jet capable of launching missiles at hypersonic speeds, the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate, will fly for the first time in 2024. No specific month was specified, but it was promised earlier this year.
In a statement to Interfax, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov explained that currently the aircraft, developed by the Sukhoi Company, a group of technology and defense giants Russian United Aircraft Company (UAC), is in preparation for building a prototype.
“Since the project was presented at MAKS-2021, feedback has been received from potential customers. Work was also carried out to optimize costs and analyze technical solutions, which allowed a significant increase in competitiveness. Commercial appeal reduces the technical risk of developing domestic single-engine aircraft," he explained.
“The time is as short as possible. Work on the Checkmate (Su-750) aircraft is now in preparation for the production of the first prototype," he concluded. Regarding the potential customers mentioned by Manturov, unfortunately he did not clearly state who.
Even so a lot of speculation comes from the Gulf countries, one of which is the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Due to political pressure, the desire of the oil-rich country was known to have wanted to join the F-35 project which was fronted by the United States (US).
However, Israel, which had joined earlier, did not remain silent and tried to pressure and influence the US. The reason is, if the F-35 is included in the ranks of the UAE Air Force fleet, it is not impossible that it will change the map of military power in the Middle East. Therefore, the UAE moved quickly to find a replacement for the F-35 and the choice fell on the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate.
The fighter jet, which is said to have air superiority, is reportedly capable of launching missiles at hypersonic speeds, a capability that is very scary in the future.
During MAKS 2021, several bulky missiles were shown, such as the Vympel R-77M medium/long-range air-to-air missile, the Kh-59Mk2 air-to-surface cruise missile (320 kg weight) and the Kh-58UShKE anti-radiation missile (650 kg weight). Of course, missiles such as the Kh-59Mk2 and Kh-58UShKE can only be placed in the main weapon bay (central bay).
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| Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate |
As a recently launched fighter jet, Checkmate is still waiting until 2023 for its maiden flight schedule. However, the details about the single engine stealth fighter are certainly interesting to observe. From the specifications, the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate is capable of carrying a payload of 7,400 kg. Having a maximum speed of Mach 1.8, the Checkmate without an external fuel tank can fly as far as 2,800 km.
Talking about the combat radius (combat radius), of course it depends on the payload configuration carried. The Sukhoi Design Bureau said the Checkmate's combat radius was in the range of 1,000-1,500 km.
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