Russian industry is preparing to begin construction of the first prototype of the Su-75 Checkmate, which should begin flight tests in 2024.
Denis Manturov, Russian Minister of Industry and Commerce, gave an interview to the state news agency Interfax, within the framework of the Army-2022 military and technical forum, in which he gave details of the program and explained the reasons for the delay of the first flight of the Su-75, originally scheduled for 2023.
According to Manturov, delays are to be expected in the production of a new combat aircraft (or aircraft complex, as he calls it), but he pointed out that, in any case, the deadlines are being adjusted as much as possible.
Manturov does not mention it, but the Western sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine will have something to do with it. According to the Rostec director, this is the main reason that will postpone the start of serial production of the Su-75 from 2025 to 2027.
See also: Due to western sanctions, Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate fighter delays production
Work on the Checkmate aircraft is now at the stage of preparation for the production of the first prototypes, of which there are likely to be four. At the core of the project cooperation are the companies that make up the Rostec technical-industrial conglomerate.
The aircraft is being created with a modular approach, which will allow optional implementation of different on-board components and equipment. As a result, the Checkmate project makes use of the best developments implemented in the fifth-generation aviation complex. The Su-75 will use many of the elements and technologies developed for the Su-57 Felon, in order to shorten development times and reduce production and logistics costs.
The standard cycle for building the flight prototype of a new fighter aircraft is approximately 2 to 2.5 years. However, the Checkmate project uses modern digital design technology to reduce this timeframe considerably.
Since the presentation of the project at MAKS-2021, Rostec has been holding talks with potential customers in order to attract them to the project. Cost optimization and analysis of individual technical solutions were also carried out, which helped to significantly improve competitiveness and commercial attractiveness, as well as reduce technical development risks.
“Based on this work, modifications were made to the design, which adjusted the date of the first flight. But at the same time, the principle of modularity and modern digital technologies made it possible to make these changes in the shortest possible time, and we plan to start flight tests as early as 2024,” Denis Manturov maintained.
