Russian plane-maker Sukhoi wants to offer a stealthy fighter called "Checkmate", to export buyers like Vietnam, India, and Argentina. Russian media claim that the single-engine aircraft, which was first displayed in a Rostec teaser clip, has all the hallmarks for a fighter built to hunt American F-22s and F-35 stealth planes.
Checkmate, a fifth-generation futuristic light tactical advanced aerial combat systems from Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, will be available for service in 2025. According to the company, the fighter will offer high performance and low operating expenses. It will be able to hunt enemy aircraft and other objects from long distances.
The checkmate will feature a central compartment that houses large air–to-air or air-to–surface armament and two smaller compartments to house defensive weapons. It will carry seven tons of payload and be able to attack up to six targets at once.
The turbojet engine will power the aircraft. It has a thrust-vectoring tip that gives it high range and speed. It will be able to climb quickly and fly at Mach 1.8.
Additionally, the Su-75 will have the ability to carry a large inventory of guided and unguided weaponry for close air support and offensive strikes. It will be equipped to carry a full range of missiles such as the RVV–SD medium-range and RVV–MD short-range weapons.
The model shows that the checkmate looks a lot like the Su-57. With its streamlined fuselage and lift-generating fuselage, blended body configuration, and wing leading-edge-root extensions (LERXes), the checkmate looks a lot like the Su-57. The tail surfaces are simplified compared to the Felon with stublike horizontal areas on either side of the exhaust.
This makes the Checkmate more similar to the Su-57 in terms of design, and tallys with the TASS report on the fighter, which suggests that the cockpits and radar are unified. This helps reduce development costs as well as the burden of conducting extensive flight tests after the fighter enters service.
The F-35, a single-engine aircraft with a more complex wing design than the Su-75/LERXes, is the main competitor. But the Checkmate is more cost-efficient than the F-35, according to a recent statement from Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov.
Checkmate, a Sukhoi-designed light fighter, is now available to foreign clients. It will be in service by 2025. Its design is aimed at providing high speed, low operational cost and high combat effectiveness.
Yuri Slyusar, UAC CEO, stated that the new fighter would be made at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant. This plant also produces the Su-57. He stated that the fighter would be available for purchase at US $25-30 million per unit.
The Checkmate is a fifth-generation, single-engine light tactical combat aircraft that will have low maintenance costs and high performance. It can reach Mach 1.8 at speed and an altitude of approximately 8,000 feet.
It will have an operating range of 2,800 kilometers, and a combat payload weight of 7400 kilograms. It will be equipped both with unguided and guided weapons to neutralize enemy command points and sensitive assets.