DOPPELADLER.COM

The first prototype of the Su-75 combat aircraft is closing in on its first flight, according to the CEO of Sukhoi parent company Rostec.

Speaking in Dubai through an interpreter, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov says the aircraft, also known as Checkmate, is “almost at the stage of flight testing.”

The single-engine Checkmate made its international debut in mock-up form at the Dubai Airshow in 2021 when the company sought international funding for the development effort.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in early 2022 has made securing such funding more difficult. Nevertheless, Sukhoi is continuing to work on the aircraft, despite national resources being focused on the war effort and on production of combat aircraft for domestic use. “Generally, it takes 10-15 years on average to develop a combat aircraft, and we have only recently started this work,” Chemezov says.

“I believe that [Checkmate] will be in demand,” Chemezov adds. “This is a cheaper, single-engine aircraft, and I think that it will have enough weapons to meet all the requirements for destroying both aerial and ground targets.”

Chemezov would not confirm the identity of reported export customers for the Su-57 fighter, which is making its Middle Eastern debut here at Dubai.