Su-75 Checkmate assembly has started

In an interview at the Dubai Air Show 2021, Yuri Slyusar, head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec) confirmed that construction of the fifth generation Su-75 Checkmate fighters has begun at the KnAAZ plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Slyusar mentioned that the plant will proceed with assembly of several Checkmates at the same time. The first flight of the new fighter is scheduled for 2023 and series production is expected to be established by 2026.

The Checkmate light single-engined tactical fighter was designed in complete secrecy by the Sukhoi Design Bureau of the United Aircraft Corporation.

The first, not-yet-flying, prototype was rather surprisingly shown at MAKS-2021 air show in Zhukovsky in June this year.

The optionally manned fifth-generation fighter was created largely based on the scientific and technical groundwork obtained during the development of its bigger brother, the Su-57. In the future we shall also see a two-seater, as well as an unmanned version of the aircraft.

Photo via Sandboxx.us