The endeavour of Russia to enhance the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-75 'Checkmate' single-engine combat aircraft program is facing a bit of a hurdle. The project cannot move forward with just state funding. Last year, potential partnership discussions were initiated with the United Arab Emirates [UAE].

Today, the opportunity to become partners with India has made its way to the table. ROSTEC has disclosed substantial cost reductions in the Su-75 project, attributing them to certain “technical changes”. These changes have been influenced by “feedback from a potential buyer” prompting the decrease in expenditure. Without any official confirmation, some sources, including the Eurasian Times, suggest that India could be that potential buyer, reported BulgarianMilitary.

Retired Indian Marshal, Anil Khosla, in a recent media interaction, brought up some significant points. He mentions caution, urging that a detailed cost-benefit analysis should be done by New Delhi before making any commitments. He further adds it’s paramount that India strategically assesses whether a mutual pact can squeeze more benefits for India. Any decision has to produce favourable outcomes for both parties involved.

Interestingly, India is currently working on its own advanced fighter jet. The ambitious Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft [FGFA] project is already in progress, and New Delhi is heavily invested in its success. From the perspective of Indian defence and industry— can a potential alliance with Russia, a complex geopolitical partner, compromise India’s local project?

This hasn’t dissuaded Russia, however. They are committed to seeking help for the Su-75 Checkmate project. While India remains on the list of potential partners, Denis Manturov, the Minister of Industry and Trade, states that Moscow is eyeing other foreign clients as well. Updating the aircraft’s layout, control, and armament systems based on customer feedback has led to certain modifications.

Remember that ROSTEC showcases the Su-75 recently at the World Defence Show 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a means of drawing interest from potential partners or customers in the region. Russia has continually expressed the Middle East’s significance in the development and trade of its armaments.

Sukhoi [United Aviation Corporation, UAC] is currently working on the first functional prototype of the Su-75 Checkmate. The plan is for it to be ready this year with scheduled tests commencing next year. They anticipate offering the Su-75 Checkmate in three variants: a single-seater, two-seater, and unmanned aircraft.

According to UAC, enhancements are being made to a new anti-radar coating paint scheme that aims to boost the aircraft’s stealth performance. They made an announcement earlier this year, revealing that they had procured a patent for the scheme. The vision, as per Russian engineers at UAC, is to camouflage the aircraft so well that it not only becomes arduous for radars to spot it, but the human eye under cloudy weather conditions has difficulty detecting it as well.

The intention of this paint scheme is unique. It is designed to alter the aircraft’s silhouette to mimic a dissimilar, smaller aircraft. This effect is created by the strategic placement of uniquely shaped colored blobs which produce variations in brightness. It leads your visual focus away from the actual outline of the aircraft, offering a blurred, downsized, and distorted visualization instead.

The Sukhoi Aircraft Company, a part of United Aircraft Corporation in ROSTEC, unveiled the Checkmate light tactical fighter at the MAKS-2021 international air show, held in Zhukovsky near Moscow. The foreign launch of this new model occurred at the Dubai Airshow 2021 in the United Arab Emirates. Essentially a derivative of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, the new warplane is innovatively developed by the state-owned technology giant, Rostec. It is a self-started initiative.

As of July 2023, UAC had patented the aircraft in three versions: single-seat, two-seat combat trainer, and unmanned.