Big humps for an ambitious project: Russia’s Su-75 stealth fighter to develop the Russian equivalent of the American F-35 Lightning II and the Chinese Shengyang FC-31, have dogged the super military hardware. It is delayed and dogs with skepticism, while the Kremlin said it is going to make 300 copies within the—also unrealistic—15 years.
The Su-75 was first displayed in public with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon. The aircraft was projected as a low-cost composite alternative to available fifth-generation fighters, and the Sukhoi-made machine was developed under the aegis of the Light Tactical Aircraft (LTS) program. It came with advanced features such as limited stealth capability, an internal weaponry bay, and more than seven tonnes of payload. It is designed to engage up to six targets simultaneously and can fly at Mach 1.8 with an operating range of 3,000 kilometers.
Slow progress and no flying prototype have led critics to call the program “vaporware.” Western media, in particular, has been scathing in their reports, with some going as far as to call the Su-75 nothing more than a public relations show. Since the prototype rollout of the aircraft, the design has changed multiple times, with major modifications to its tail section and wing panels that would yet further delay development, according to an AviationWeek report.
It looked like the beleaguered state of Russia was making all efforts to put at least some international partners online to fund and co-develop the Su-75. At the Aero India 2023, International Air Show in Bangalore, Moscow struck a deal with New Delhi for future cooperation on the project. India’s interest in the project, however, seems to be very cold. Air Marshal Anil Khosla, retired, called for a pre-entry entry cost-benefit study into the program. He sought an answer to whether the program would impact self-reliance ambitions and would likely yield more benefits than costs.
India’s reluctance is well understood. After reports of dismal performance in the ongoing Ukraine war, there are serious doubts about the capability of the Su-75. Added to that, the mainstay for the IAF soon looks to be indigenous programs like the AMCA and the Tejas Mk-2. India is, therefore, veering away from foreign fighter programs.
The Su-75 is also, by some accounts, a derivative of the Su-57, from which India had walked out over differences on technology transfer and design specifications. This history further complicates Russia’s efforts to secure Indian participation.
Russian officials, however, are sanguine. Dmitry Shugayev, director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, said that consultations with foreign customers were underway. Denis Manturov, the Russian Industry and Trade Minister, said there was interest from international buyers. A promotional video for the Checkmate showed “pilots” from Argentina, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, a tip-off to Russia’s target markets.
With no concrete orders in place and the geopolitical situation—including Western sanctions— relegating the project to an uncertain future, the Kremlin’s plan to come up with a few prototypes by 2026 and provide a cost-effective fighter with high performance remains elusive.
As the world watches, the question remains: Will the Su-75 Checkmate become a game-changer in the global fighter jet market, or will it turn out to be a high-profile example of military vaporware? Only time will tell.