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In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec, said that the flight watch of the fifth-generation Russian fighter jet Checkmate will be seven times cheaper than its main competitor, the American F-35.
“Among the fifth-generation single-engine aircraft and aircraft of previous generations, the only major Checkmate competitor, the F-35, can boast similar characteristics. However, unlike the latter, our aircraft is more economical. Let me remind you that the Checkmate flight hour costs seven times less than the F-35,” Chemezov said.
The chief of Rostec said that the main advantages of Checkmate include stealth technology, a modern radar with a phased array antenna, as well as the ability to adapt the aircraft to the needs of a specific customer.
Checkmate will be shown for the first time abroad at the Dubai Airshow 2021 from November 14-18. The prototype of the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate was unveiled at the 2021 MAKS Air Show.
During the design work on the prototype, the technologies used in the development of the Su-57 fighter were used. Outwardly, they also look similar. However, flying the Checkmate is expected to be much easier thanks to its single-engine engine.
The aircraft is equipped with the latest avionics and the ability to control small unmanned aerial vehicles. Its weapons will also be placed in a special stone inside the fuselage. The Su-75 can reach speeds of up to 1,900 kilometers (1,180 miles) per hour. Its combat radius is 3000 km.
Checkmate will be established at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant. Its maiden flight is scheduled for 2023. Serial production is expected to begin in 2025.
Serial production of the Russian Su-75 Checkmate combat aircraft could begin in 2025-2026, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said earlier during the Oil and Gas Forum in the western Siberian city of Tyumen.
“As far as I can remember, flight tests will start in 2023, and serial production will start in the event of an order – and we hope there will be an order because this aircraft has a number of features of fifth-generation aircraft ... – it will start in 2025-2026, I think that’s a time frame,” said Borisov. realistic."
In his view, in the event of a delay in the launch of serial production, it will be due to the lack of demand for the Checkmate fighter in the markets dominated by American and Chinese aircraft.
Russia's new single-engine Checkmate fighter has a high export potential in the Latin American, Asian and Middle Eastern markets due to its low costs and high combat effectiveness, Chemezov said earlier in the year.
“Definitely, the Checkmate light attack aircraft has a high export potential,” Chemezov said. The aircraft is capable of solving every task specified by the customer, including the effective destruction of land and sea targets, as well as the fight for air supremacy against numerically superior forces,” noting that the fighter will be of particular interest in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.
According to the head of Rostec, the aircraft has stealth, high flight performance and is equipped with advanced avionics. Checkmate also prides itself on its class's large and highly customizable internal weapon bays.
The fighter can carry up to five air-to-air missiles of different ranges and other air weapons. It can also be used as a base for an unmanned aerial vehicle with similar characteristics.
Chemezov noted that the maximum combat load of the new light fighter is 7,400 kilograms (16,314 pounds), while its flight range without external fuel tanks is 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles).
At the same time, the aircraft has low maintenance costs due to the automated logistics support system, which allows training personnel and planning the delivery of components in advance.