For several years now, Sukhoi’s Su-75 light attack aircraft, heretofore known as the “Checkmate” by Russian officials, was mired in development, first debuted to the public way back in 2021. An eternity in design circles, the Su-75 is, for all intents and purposes, a fifth generation stealth fighter created primarily for export purposes although it could end up serving alongside the Su-57 “Felon” much like the F-35 Lightning II flies in concert with the F-22 Raptor. Since its first showing, the stubby single-engine fighter has undergone a number of critical changes and updates, likely caused by budgetary constraints, assets diverted to the War in Ukraine, and other more pressing issues that have kept it on the back burner for half a decade.
Now, according to several sources, the “Checkmate” is ready for flight-testing, although no export customer has been signed as yet and questions regarding its stealth characteristics have come into play. From a modelmaking standpoint, its a good bet the Su-75 will end up garnering a bit of attention, provided it lives up to expectations and manages to reach operational status by 2030. If not, it could end up being an afterthought, heaped onto the junk pile of misbegotten projects by claims it could never live up to.