MOSCOW ($1=59.38 Russian Rubles) — “Preparation for the production of the second Su-75 prototype has begun. In total, we plan to build four prototypes,” said General Director of United Aircraft Corporation Yury Slyusar during the Army-2022 exhibition in Moscow. He also added that the unmanned version of the Su-75 Checkmate is being developed at the same time as the manned version.
“Work on the unmanned version of Checkmate has been ongoing since the early design stages. The unmanned version can be created together with a single-seat aircraft. The potential for flight tests of the unmanned aircraft is being created as part of the work on the manned version,” Slyusar told the TASS agency.
He explained that the Su-75 machine has a modular design, which facilitates not only its configuration and modification. This is also an opening of possibilities. the use of components selected by potential customers, therefore, as part of the construction of piloted prototypes, solutions are also created for the unmanned version.
One of them is certainly an artificial intelligence system to assist the pilot during the mission and even act as a “second pilot”. It is interesting how the Russians will develop such solutions when they are cut off from the supply of modern microprocessors. Even “the Russians” processors like Baikal, in addition to performance, turned out to be made in Taiwan. Currently, work is underway to transfer the production line to Russia.
Despite these problems, according to the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, work on the Su-75 is progressing very quickly, thanks to the use of modern design methods and digital modeling. As a result, the construction of the first flight test prototype had to be significantly shortened. The first flight is planned for 2024. It is worth recalling that when the Su-75 was presented for the first time a year ago, the Russian manufacturer planned a flight in 2023.
Most likely in connection with the embargo after February 24, which hit the most developed branches of Russian industry the hardest, the work faced significant problems. On the other hand, the fast pace of work is associated with the use of many ready-made solutions and components used in Su-57 machines. The Russians themselves do not hide the connection of the two projects, but the Su-75 should be significantly cheaper and more accessible to customers who consider the purchase of the Su-57 unprofitable. Russia, despite its best efforts, has not yet exported a single copy of its 5th generation flagship.
If the planned performance is confirmed, the Su-75 Checkmate will reach a speed of Mach 1.8 and an operational range of 3,000 km thanks to the use of the “Izdelie 30” engine with a vector-controlled exhaust nozzle and afterburner. It is also a target engine for the Su-57, but it was still not possible to put it into production. The machine is supposed to carry up to 7 tons of weapons, which can be placed mainly in internal internal chambers to reduce the radar signature.
It should have passive and active sensors, including an AESA radar, which will allow you to attack up to 6 different targets simultaneously and track more than a hundred objects. In addition to the piloted version, an unmanned version will be available, adapted, among other things, to work with the Su-57.
