The success in foreign markets of the promising Russian light tactical aircraft (LTS), known as Checkmate and Su-75, depends on its use by the armed forces of Russia itself. The criterion for the success of the new fighter was designated by the American magazine The National Interest.
The publication says that the LTS is "a compromise that allows you to squeeze the most out of the basic functions of low visibility to create an affordable basic design." In particular, the publication recalls that at a cost (about $ 30 million), the Su-75 is cheaper than the American F-35 Lightning II.
The publication writes that Checkmate is initially export-oriented, and the UAE may become the first country ready to buy it. "The promotional materials [of the Su-75] showed pilots from the Middle East, Latin America, India and other countries, possibly for marketing purposes," the magazine said.
In November, the American edition of The Drive wrote that what is called the LTS actually looks like an average fighter. The publication noted that "Checkmate has a length of about 17 meters with a wingspan of 12 meters, compared with similar figures of 20 and 14 meters for the Su-57."
In July, Rostec presented the LTS at the MAKS-21 International Aviation and Space Salon. According to Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov, a single-engine tactical fighter will cost from 25 to 30 million dollars. As the head of the United Aircraft Corporation Yuri Slyusar noted, the aircraft shown at the salon is a sample that will fly in 2023.
Ivan Potapov
