The ambitious project of Russia to develop a cost-effective fifth-generation fighter jet, Su-75 “Checkmate,” is supposedly suffering from severe delays because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. This war has siphoned away most of the resources and attention towards urgent military requirements, therefore delaying progress on advanced systems such as the Su-75. Financial problems have become the main limiting factor with this aircraft.
It will be only partly stealthy and cheaper than its US counterparts. The Su-75 has some issues to deal with, among them the absence of foreign buyers. The UAE was indeed interested in the project but pulled out due to geopolitical tensions stirred by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“If Russia overcomes these hurdles, the Su-75 could significantly impact the global fighter aircraft market,” said Brandon J. Weichert, a national security analyst. Current circumstances make this unlikely.
This has forced Russia’s defense industrial base to put most of its energies into mass-producing weapons and platforms that can be deployed on the front lines quickly and in large numbers, slowing down the development of newer, more advanced warbirds. This shift in priorities and focus has impacted both the Sukhoi Design Bureau behind the Su-57 and its affiliate Rostec responsible for the Su-75.
The Su-75 Checkmate could be one of those aircraft that might initiate an opening toward an affordable approach compared to the very expensive American fifth-generation warplanes. It features five internal weapons bays, adding to its stealthy outlook, and is armed with guided and unguided munitions. It has a single NPO Saturn AL-51F-1 engine with approximately 18,000 kilogram-force thrust and an overall thrust of approximately 36,000 kg. The Checkmate has a top speed of around Mach 1.8, a cruising range of about 1,900 miles.
Despite these promising specs, the future of the Su-75 is far from sure. At $30 million per unit, the jet would be one heck of a more affordable way for countries to get their hands on fifth-generation warplanes compared to the American F-35. The thing is, without significant foreign interest, the Su-75 might never leave the drawing board.
Meanwhile, North Africa has become a theater of growing geopolitical rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, prompting both to make significant investments in their militaries, especially in airborne systems. Algeria, meanwhile, is one of Russia’s oldest military customers and could well be the first export customer for the Su-75 Checkmate as Moscow seeks out defense exports in light of its invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of international sanctions.
“At this point, as one of the biggest global customers of Russian weaponry, it’s likely that Algeria may eventually acquire Russia’s top-notch technology that Moscow seeks to export,” said Samuel Bendett, a member of the Russia Studies Program at CNA.
On the other side, Morocco is modernizing its air resources with US-manufactured jets and helicopters. Based on this, the country signed the purchase of 25 aircraft F-16C/D Block 72 and 24 AH-64 Apache helicopters, which it hopes to start receiving by 2025.
The tensions between Morocco and Algeria have grown over the years, but a set of new developments might just push their conflict over the edge. In August 2021, Algeria broke off its relations with Morocco based on hostile behavior. The verbal sparring between them has increased, with Morocco announcing the establishment of a new “eastern military zone” along its frontier with Algeria.
Whereas all-around war between the two countries is highly impossible due to limited economic resources and proximity to Europe, the possibility of border skirmishes remains high.
The neighboring countries are investing billions of dollars in the Department of Defence: Algeria’s military spending was stabilized at 6.1% of its GDP, accounting for $9.1 billion in 2021, while Morocco increased its military spending by 3.4% to $5.4 billion. Decades of rivalry have brought large militaries, with Moscow and Washington getting the biggest benefits from this spending.
In the last decades, the Russian-Algerian defense cooperation has grown stronger, and Algeria has expressed its intention to buy the Su-57 several times, and lately, even the Su-75 Checkmate. On the other hand, Morocco is still very interested in American defense technology and has held the biggest military exercises with the US, while even considering purchasing fifth-generation jets in the future.
Other suppliers, such as Germany, France, and Italy may well also become significant players in the region’s changing military context, as both countries continue to build out their air arsenals.