Su-75 "Checkmate" Fighter Reaches Final Stages of Development, A Cost-Effective 5th-Gen Option for India to Counter China-Pak Nexus

The Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has announced that its Sukhoi Su-75 "Checkmate" fighter jet program is nearing completion. According to Sergei Korotkov, a senior UAC official, the Su-75 is a fifth-generation, single-engine stealth fighter designed for the international arms market, as reported by Russia's TASS news agency.

This development positions the "Checkmate" as a potential competitor to other advanced fighter aircraft like the American F-35 Lightning II and the Chinese Shenyang FC-31.

The Su-75 is being marketed as a more affordable alternative to existing fifth-generation fighters, offering a balance of cutting-edge technology and cost-effectiveness.

This is particularly relevant for countries like India, which are seeking to modernize their air forces while facing budgetary constraints. India has a long history of acquiring Russian military hardware and is seen as a key potential customer for the Su-75.

Russia is reportedly offering attractive incentives to India, including technology transfer and the possibility of local production under India's "Make in India" initiative. This aligns with India's "Make in India" initiative, which promotes domestic defence manufacturing.

The Su-75's potential role in countering the growing military capabilities of China and Pakistan is a significant factor for India. The fighter's stealth capabilities and multi-role functionality would provide a valuable asset in maintaining air superiority in the region.

With increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the Su-75 could be a game-changer for India's defence strategy.

 

[sanket]

Let the prototype completes & have a First Flight & Then Induction after that in Export Market it is too early

 

[PKPRS]

All depends on the availability of AL-51 derivative engine and flat nozzle, much better than buying a single engine 4th gen jet, so it will be few SU-57 and SU-75 that will fit with our current eco System, there is a possibility of 36 more Rafale's to make Airforce happy, latest renderings of SU-75 look even more stealthier and it seems UAC Russia redesigned the wings to increase payload, fuel storage and Range upon some Country's request(?)

Su-75 Checkmate design modifications and new versions in development

A series of patents filed by United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) with the Russian Federal Intellectual Property Service show interesting changes from the first Su-75 Checkmate design, as well as the development of a two-seat tandem version and a unmanned version. Presented to the public for the first

www.aviacionline.com

 

[bonito]

Close our eyes. Let choose for MRFA. Done. We badly need fighter's or large UAV's or 50x equivalent of long range missiles for every fighter less.

 

[Arin Kumar]

If only defending our airspace is the point, then a bunch of HAL Tejas and Mirage 2000 armed with Astra missiles would be enough.

Many people are supporting the Su-57. It is a concept aircraft also.

Only mass produced 5th Gen aircraft are F22 and F35. India can buy F35 but India will be bankrupt if we purchase these airplanes.
All we have to do is shoot down incoming Bayraktar TB2 Drones and pose enough treat to the JF 17s, J10, and J 35s of being shot down - so that they don't do an air-raid on India.

 

[Pad UwU]

Su75 is better than waiting the overated, overhype, overdelay and over budgeted HAL's Tejas mk1a and mk2 4gen aircraft 😹😹😹😹

 

[Muthukumar Ponnambalam]

India should reject it with the left hand.

Russia was not interested in having India as a co-developer of its PAK-FA, but only wanted it as a mere consumer, despite the fact that it needs India more than India needs Russia.

True, Russian scientists can't tolerate and hence may even disgust their Indian counterparts, but still, India could have also effectively contributed to an extent. (I can take a wild guess now, how Russia would have treated India in the BrahMos project and what would have been the contribution of Indian scientists)

India can no longer be a mere consumer. No way.

Go for indigenous.

And obviously, for high-end and advanced technology projects, JV should be the one and only way.

 

[P.K Senapati]

India should urgently go for few squadons 5th generation stealth fighters made in India. like Su57 or single engined version Su75 with Al51 engine
India indigenious AMCA project can take its own time.

 

[Preet]

If looks matter, then AMCA looks better than this 🤣

If the timeline matters, AMCA is still ahead of this.

If speed matters, even then 2xGE414 gives better thrust than 1xAL51, dry and wet thrust both.

Had Su-75 even taken a flight till now, I would say we can look at it, but for now, it's a bad computer model with no actual groundwork.

Going for Su-57 sounds a lot better in the current scenario because no matter what US-India talks happen, they aren't giving us F-35, no way!! Because of the S-400, they would want India to shelf S-400, which India won't do!!

BUT, if somehow India plays its cards right, India can deploy S-400 in Southern Coastal states to protect naval bases, maybe one each on Andaman and Lakshdweep too, and keep the LOC and LAC clean for F-35, and by the time F-35 arrives in say 2-3 years, we would be having KUSHA systems ready, or maybe buy a few batteries of THAAD!! That's the only solution if India needs F-35 so badly. As per me personally, buy Su-57 and make them in India!! We are in the Russian ecosystem, and better replace it only indigenously, and not dilly-dally with American jets now. In fact, a made-in-India Su-57, just like the Su-30MKI on which we could do indigenous arrangements, is far better than anything else!!

 

[NikK]

@Preet 'Made in India su57'?
There are hardly any made in Russia, dear..

 

[Preet]

@Preet 'Made in India su57'?
There are hardly any made in Russia, dear..

They are going to be...very soon...Russia has been waiting for AL-51 engines.

And by the way, in 2023, Russia got 12 Su-57s, and it was planned to give 18 Su-57s in 2024, and just in December, 3 Su-57s were inducted.

That's always how Russia builds its capacity...year over year...and as of now, Russia has 15-20 Su-57/year capacity. That's just as good as Tejas or Rafale production capacity, so believe what you see.

And if India gives them a 114-jet order, they can easily ramp up their capacity too. In fact, Russia aims to induct at least 300 Su-57s as per their initial commitments, but further orders were halted because Russia was expecting AL-51 production by 2024, but its testing was a little delayed. In 2025, it would go into production, most likely.

And them making 2D thrust vectoring flat nozzles like the F-22 just shows how committed and confident they are. Just recently, the kind of damage the Su-57 has done in Ukraine, hitting it with its hypersonic missiles and evading all Ukrainian radars, debunks the western narrative. 👍

 

[Venkat S]

India should urgently go for few squadons 5th generation stealth fighters made in India. like Su57 or single engined version Su75 with Al51 engine
India indigenious AMCA project can take its own time.

IAF wants real jets. Not the cardboard one.

 

[Nahian Ramim]

Going for Su-57 sounds a lot better in the current scenario because no matter what US-India talks happen, they aren't giving us F-35, no way!! Because of the S-400, they would want India to shelf S-400, which India won't do!!

AMCA isn't expected to enter production until 2035, while the Su-75 will probably roll off production by 2030. Maintaining a large amount of Su-57s is impractical. The Su-75 is supposed to compete with the F-35.

 

[beencensured]

Su75 is better than waiting the overated, overhype, overdelay and over budgeted HAL's Tejas mk1a and mk2 4gen aircraft 😹😹😹😹

Rather have Russian half-baked dreams that are not flying then a plane that completed cdr and been in the works for twenty years only to receive funding last year. As saying goes more foreign than India.

 

[beencensured]

Su75 is better than waiting the overated, overhype, overdelay and over budgeted HAL's Tejas mk1a and mk2 4gen aircraft 😹😹😹😹

CCS clearing of funds last year and so by 2026 expected role out. Now, it is getting built and so do not think the file is still stuck.

 

[beencensured]

All depends on the availability of AL-51 derivative engine and flat nozzle, much better than buying a single engine 4th gen jet, so it will be few SU-57 and SU-75 that will fit with our current eco System, there is a possibility of 36 more Rafale's to make Airforce happy, latest renderings of SU-75 look even more stealthier and it seems UAC Russia redesigned the wings to increase payload, fuel storage and Range upon some Country's request(?)

Let them come out with prototype. No one needs more Russian dreams when India also making and not finalizing design. Hopefully the speed development of prototype by 2026 as Dr Reddy says and should make at least 16-20 prototype of AMCA to speed up testing and development. This would then put India at advantage.

 

[Surendra Barsode]

Russia missed the opportunity as India did not continue with FGFA program. Now that India is firmly with GE for Tejas program and may go with France or UK for AMCA engine, it does not make sense now to go back to Russia for Su57. But our other collaborations with Russia for radars, submarines etc. will continue anyway.

 

[beencensured]

Only mass produced 5th Gen aircraft are F22 and F35. India can buy F35 but India will be bankrupt if we purchase these airplanes.
All we have to do is shoot down incoming Bayraktar TB2 Drones and pose enough treat to the JF 17s, J10, and J 35s of being shot down - so that they don't do an air-raid on India.

F35 is less expensive to buy then rafale but has more maintenance cost and less uptime.-The other issue it requires constant updates by oem and so becomes a liability for independent foreign policy. Checkmate has recently updated its design, and many say AMCA first prototype will roll out by late 2026.

 

[BCharlie]

IAF wants real jets. Not the cardboard one.

Yes, but get or buy from whom & from where .. no one, not even one is ready to offer us 5th gen fighter for purchase .. and we are nowhere near in making one ourselves;

 

[tipoo2]

"Nears completion" is a very funny way to spell "hasn't even flown yet"

The Su57 is only now nearing complete more than a decade after flying, and we have yet to see a real image of it flying two AL51s that were designed for it and not one plus one AL41 which gives it away completely on IR. The Su75, though sharing a lot of the tech including that engine from the 57, will be well into AMCA timeline before it's actually baked. No point.

Only potential stopgap is the Su-57 itself with the AL51, then we have some breathing room to forget any foreign fourth gen and focus on AMCA.

 

[R. Singh]

We must send our IAF to Russia to evaluate Su-75 !

 

[PKPRS]

CCS clearing of funds last year and so by 2026 expected role out. Now, it is getting built and so do not think the file is still stuck.

Hope Mk2 will be rolled out by then.

 

[Sandeep]

India should definitely take a look at the jet and its advanced technology, reliability, weapons capabilities, equipment development, jets computer, software, radar, EW, jets fuselage, stealth material and paint etc.

Even if we don’t buy them we should take a look and see if there’s any new ideas, technology or capabilities that we can use on our own indigenous jets.

Also if there’s a massive delay on the AMCA project which shouldn’t happen anyway then we can always induct 1-2 squadrons of these jets to reinforce our air power with at least some stealth jets until production of our AMCA starts.

 

[Scooter2000]

Absurd the Su-75 is nothing but a concept it doesn't even exist in physical form other than a model.

 

[Torontodude]

Absurd the Su-75 is nothing but a concept it doesn't even exist in physical form other than a model.

Yet it will be ready before AMCA