Russia’s Su-75: Can Putin’s F-35 Rival Ever Get Off the Ground?

Russia first announced the Su-75 Checkmate as a prototype at the International Aviation & Space Show (MAKS) at the Zhukovsky International Airport in July 2021. The sleek, single-engined stealth fighter, was declared to be Moscow’s answer to Washington’s F-35 and destined to replace several Soviet-era aircraft such as the MiG 21 and MiG 23.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. At the time, it was described as being “lighter, faster, flies higher, is more maneuverable and capable of crazy things – conceptually, more cost-effective and technically superior” to its competition. Five years later, it still has to take to the air, although Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (OAK) said in June that the first flying prototype was under construction at the KnAAZ plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in Russia’s far east. The delay in development causes commentators to wonder, no matter how much cheaper it may be, does the Su-75 have any chance of competing with the hundreds of US and Chinese equivalents that are already flying. The F-35 first flew in December 2006 and production variants appeared in February 2011. Some argue that resources diverted to support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine have contributed to the Su-75’s prolonged development and production delays. How does Checkmate stack up technically? According to OAK, as reported by the Russian Zvesda TV channel, Checkmate has a maximum speed of up to Mach 1.8 (2,200 kph / 1,380 mph), a range of up to 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) without additional, external fuel tanks, and a weapons load of up to 7,400 kilograms (16,280 pounds). Other Topics of Interest Russia Plans Record 17.1 Trillion-Ruble Defense Budget as War Costs Deepen Fiscal Strain Moscow will raise taxes and borrowing to fund the military, while defense spending is set to consume 35% of Russia’s total budget in 2027. Its stealth configuration can be maintained by carrying up to five air-to-air missiles in its internal compartments and its flight and navigation systems have been upgraded with the latest artificial intelligence (AI) software. OAK claims that its performance outmatches the F-35 (Mach 1.6 / 1,900 kph / 1,200 mph) at a cost of $30 million compared with $80 million for its US counterpart. It also claims that, as it does not incorporate an afterburner, it will cost a sixth of the cost per hour flown compared with the F-35. An unmanned version of the Su-75 was displayed at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, having no cockpit cover, an updated wing, and revised rear fuselage compared with the manned version. OAK also said the unmanned version was intended to act as an “unmanned wingman” for use in combination with both the Su-57 and Su-75. This addresses similar concepts being tested in the west. However, OAK’s claims have yet to be verified, which will happen once an actual aircraft has been completed and tested, which they assure will happen “soon.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.