The first flight of the Russian "Check-Mate" aircraft in 2025

[The SC]

Russia's newest fighter, the single-engine Checkmate, will soar into the sky for the first time in 2025.

This information was disclosed to journalists by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Yuri Borisov added that usually 1.5-2 years pass between the first flight and the start of mass production.

Sergei Chemezov, head of Rostec, told Russian state media in May that serial production of the Checkmate aircraft is scheduled for 2027.

It was previously reported that Checkmate, also known as the Su-75, has a first international customer. A mock-up of the aircraft was shown internationally at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, fueling speculation that the United Arab Emirates will be the first customer for the Russian-made fighter.

Checkmate is said to feature an open architecture that can be modified according to customer requirements and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. It also features low visibility technologies and is equipped with a cabin inside the fuselage for air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons. The payload of the aircraft exceeds 7 tons and can simultaneously hit up to six targets. The single-engine aircraft has a speed of Mach 1.8 and a combat radius of up to 3000 km.

 

[The SC]

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

I like how the air intake is both lateral and centerline. Previous air intakes were either lateral or centerline but never both.