Russian Sukhoi Checkmate (Su-75) Debuted in Dubai

The Dubai Airshow-2021, which was held this year in Dubai, one of the important venues where companies operating in the field of defense and aviation showcase and meet with their customers, has caused defense industry companies to show interest as an important exhibition activity in an environment where pandemic measures have decreased relatively.

ROSTEC, a holding owned by the Russian state, also wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and participated in the Dubai Airshow with its important products. The Sukhoi Checkmate (Su-75) aircraft, which was previously introduced for the first time at MAKS-21 held in Moscow in July this year, was exhibited at Dubai Airshow 2021 for the first time in an international event. UAC exhibited the export version of the Su-57, called the Su-57E, at the 2019 MAKS fair, but this version could not attract the attention of potential customers. The Su-75, on the other hand, was expected to attract attention in the international arms market as a remarkable option in terms of price-performance, with its price and assertive capabilities, and it did.

The Su-75 fighter jet was designed primarily in the interceptor (air defense) role as a relatively light aircraft compared to other aircraft in its class. In addition, the production of Su-75 versions in the hunting bomber role is also in the planning. The Su-57 project, which was found to be heavy and expensive, had problems in the development phase, and was injured by the crash of an airplane in one of the flight tests after it performed its first test flight on January 29, 2010, still continues quite late according to the program schedule. After fixing some known issues, including engine modification, 76 Su-57 fighter jets will be produced by 2028 and delivered to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Meanwhile, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) put on its agenda in early 2016 the development of a fifth-generation fighter jet, which could be termed as a 'lightweight' that would generate revenue for it. It is envisaged that the new engine developed for the Su-57 will also be adapted for the Su-75. As said, if Su-57 engines are ready in mid-2022, it is foreseen that Su-75 engines will be ready at the beginning of 2023.

In this context, the Su-75 project, the development of which was initiated by Russia's UAC company, is expected to have a serial production process parallel to the Su-57. According to Yury Sliusar, Managing Director of UAC, the design and development of this fighter jet was carried out entirely using the company's own resources. For this reason, Sliusar stated that the Russian Air Force did not contribute to the conceptual design of this aircraft and to the development of the operational concept.

In the world of defense and aviation, there is a widely spoken opinion: It is almost impossible for an aircraft not purchased by its own Air Force to be purchased/used by another country. It is probably out of the question for the UAC not to know about this situation in Russia, which is one of the leading states in the aircraft industry. On the other hand, although a fifth-generation fighter aircraft of the Su-75 caliber is not enough to meet the operational requirements of the Russian Air Force, Argentina, India, Vietnam, which still knows and trusts the Russian aircraft industry products, and still has to buy the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Russia may want to give priority to sales to Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates. Time will tell the success of this strategy.

As far as we can follow from the press, ROSTEC; In the video he had the Su-75 aircraft prepared for promotional purposes, he used the image of the Air Force Commander of a generic country in the Middle East and praised the prominent features of the Su-75 in his own words. From this, it is understood that Middle Eastern countries are expected to be among the priority customers of this aircraft. One Su-75 in the MAKS-21 is projected to cost $25-30 million, making it even cheaper than most fourth-generation warplanes (F-16V version: $60-65 million and Rafale TR4 version: $120 million) The first promotion was made with the claim that the At this sticker price, there will be a lot of countries willing to buy a fifth generation fighter jet. If, within the scope of maintenance of the aircraft, logistics support problems are not in question and buyer countries are not condemned to low sortie production rates, this aircraft can indeed be sold like cheese and bread for this price and make ROSTEC smile in the arms market.

In the video screening in Dubai, Bayraktar Akıncı as the UAV and the F-35 aircraft as the fifth generation fighter aircraft were shown among the possible targets of the Su-75, and the mission effectiveness of the Su-75 against these aircraft was displayed within the framework of the scenario. In this sense, the fact that Turkish and American aircraft were chosen as the target of the Su-75 warplanes was reflected in the Dubai Airshow as a reflection of the discomfort felt over the TB2 sales to Ukraine. Despite the F-35 tension in the Turkish-American relationship, the defense industry products of these two countries are 'sufficient' against the Su-75. It has been tried to create the perception that z' will remain. In this promotional video, ironically, the warning 'please renew your subscription' was reflected on the screen of the pilot who wanted to use his ammunition. Thus, the dependency of the joint fighter aircraft F-35 on the American defense industry and the Pentagon system was pointed out, and it was indirectly aimed to emphasize the almost impossibility of the F-35 successfully fulfilling its flight missions despite the Americans. In the promotional video, it was emphasized that the USA, the main stakeholder producer of the F-35, would make its allies to buy this aircraft dependent on itself, and it was indirectly stated that the Su-75 could be considered as an alternative product and that such problems would not occur.

At the Dubai Airshow-2021, some information about this warplane that was not shared before was shared with the visitors of the fair. It was emphasized that there will be 11 load stations on the aircraft and five of them are designed as internal stations, so that enough weapon loads can be carried at these five stations while flying with the "invisibility" feature. It was shared that the range of the Su-75 with its internal fuel load and internal weapon load will be 1740 miles (2800 km), and an ambitious range calculation for a single-engine fifth generation aircraft was mentioned. In particular, the fact that the Su-75, which has larger dimensions than other single-engine warplanes (F-35, F-16, JAS 39 Gripen, etc.), can reach this range with a wingspan similar to the F-18 (12.3 meters), proves is considered to be in need. Since the flight tests of this aircraft, especially the operational test and evaluation stage, have not been started yet, it is understood that there is a minimum of 3-4 years ahead of us to test the accuracy of these calculated figures.

Also at Dubai Airshow-2021, for the first time, an unmanned version of the Su-75 was mentioned by the Russians. A concept study about the ongoing efforts to equip the unmanned versions of the manned Su-75s, which are planned to fly in the arm, with autonomous flight capabilities, was also conveyed to the audience. Accordingly, single and two-seater versions of the Su-75 will be produced, and there may be unmanned versions, if necessary, according to customer demand.

According to some sources, the Su-75 is actually an aircraft developed by the UAC for the operational needs of the UAE. At the IDEX conference in Abu Dhabi held in February 2017, ROSTEC received an official request from the UAE Ministry of Defense to develop a light fifth generation fighter jet. Within the framework of the agreement signed after this, the Russians continue the Su-75 development process. However, the UAE has been trying to purchase F-35 aircraft from the USA since November 2017. If the allegations are true, the UAE continues its bilateral cooperation with both Russia and the USA within the scope of aircraft purchases. Presumably, the UAE commitment to purchasing fifth-generation fighter jets from both countries, or just one, remains.

According to the declarations of the Russians, the first Su-75 aircraft will fly in 2023 and mass production will begin in 2026. If the UAE and the Americans can come to an agreement, the first F-35s will have been delivered to Dubai by 2027. According to this calendar, it will become clear in the coming years how the procurement of Su-75 and F-35 will be managed by the UAE.

F-35I aircraft deployed by Israel to Nevatim Air Base have started to enter the inventory of this country's Air Force since December 2016. As of mid-2018, F-35I warplanes have been able to perform operational flights over Israeli skies. Some of the capabilities planned to be acquired have been integrated into the F-35Is, which have been "custom-made" according to the special needs of Israel, which has been an active participant in the development process of the F-35 aircraft since 2003.

Against the Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, which comes to the fore as a conjugate capability with F-35 aircraft, Israel carries out "bombing" exercises against Iran, with the fiction that it can counter with F-35Is. Israel, which does not even need to hide that Iran carries out its preliminary rehearsals from time to time in the Syrian air defense; It does not hesitate to show the "attack stick" that will blunt Iran's nuclear capacity. On the other hand, we do not know to what extent the S-400 battery deployed by the Russians in Syria is used against Israeli F-35Is, whether the systems are deployed 'without targeting', and how willing the Russians are to engage Israeli planes.

Despite having signed the Abrahamic Treaties with Israel, the race has begun in most Arab countries to purchase the F-35, which is seen as a sign of close ally with the United States. Like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are also struggling in this direction. It is alleged that, among other things, perhaps for this reason, the Gulf states are even trying to normalize their bilateral relations with Israel. However, Israel remains unchallenged by the fact that its air power remains unrivaled in the region. It is trying to prevent the Americans from selling the F-35s to the Arabs in order to ensure Despite this, the UAE from the Gulf countries; He managed to sign an agreement with the Trump government for the sale of 50 F-35s. Of course, in this sense, it is another matter of curiosity to what extent the Americans will stick to the treaty they have signed. In this sense, the attitude of the American Congress in the future will be a determining factor. If, as envisaged, the UAE; If it can successfully complete both procurement processes from the Russians and the Americans; It will be the first country to add the fifth generation warplanes produced by these two countries to its inventory at the same time.

In any case, it seems unlikely in advance to predict what will happen. USA; will agree to sell the joint warplane F-35 to the United Arab Emirates and possibly other Gulf states. Such sales, in an environment where even the British are considering revising the number of aircraft they demand from the F-35 program and reducing the number of aircraft to be purchased, sales to Arab countries can be a 'lifebuoy' for the success of the program. In such a case, the Su-75 Checkmate program may be adversely affected. On the other hand, if Israel's process of persuading the Americans is successful, there will be no F-35 sales to Arab countries, which will pave the way for the Russians and become the star of the Su-75 fighter jet market. It seems that the production success of the Su-75 will depend on the UAE's continued cooperation in the short term and its determined financial resources to give the necessary support to the Russians.