Fighter Checkmate should take part in the air war in Ukraine

19

One of our main problems during the special operation in Ukraine was that the Russian Aerospace Forces for the entire year since its beginning have not been able to secure dominance in the air. The enemy's air defense has not only not been destroyed, but, on the contrary, is constantly increasing its capabilities through the supply of Western anti-aircraft missile systems. Also, for some reason, Kyiv still does not run out of Soviet-made aircraft, and Ukrainian pilots, obviously, will soon switch to NATO-style fighters. What to do with all this now?

The losses suffered by the Russian army aviation, especially at the first stage of the SVO, clearly demonstrated how important it is to develop unmanned aviation. At the front, UAVs of all types are needed - reconnaissance, reconnaissance-strike, specialized strike and disposable "kamikazde" - in commercial quantities, so that they can be used without fear for the life of the pilot, whose training takes many years. However, without manned aviation, too, nowhere.



Su-57


The prospect of the F-16, Panavia Tornado and Mirage 2000C fighters appearing in Ukraine requires that Russia have fighters that are superior to the enemy in all key characteristics, capable of operating in conditions of an oversaturation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with air defense systems. And our promising fifth-generation fighter Su-57 can become such.

The Russian aircraft belongs to the class of heavy fighters: it is hardly noticeable on radars, has supersonic cruising speed, is capable of maneuvering under high overloads, is equipped with advanced domestic on-board electronics and is multifunctional. Theoretically, the Su-57 can be controlled by artificial intelligence, acting autonomously, but in practice it has already been tested in conjunction with the strike UAV-"invisible" super-heavy class S-70 "Hunter". The fighter is armed with a 30-mm 9-A1-4071K air cannon and can carry a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface guided missiles.

To date, the Su-57 is the only fifth-generation aircraft that was actually used during a high-intensity armed conflict. Last summer, four of these fighters, linked into a single information network, were used to destroy the air defense systems of Ukraine that they themselves identified. Subsequently, these aircraft repeatedly performed combat missions, attacking enemy aircraft without entering the zone of its air defense. The specialized American publication Military Watch describes its vision for the use of the Russian fifth-generation fighter as follows:

The participation of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict first became known back in March 2022, but the details of its mission became clear only later. Initially, it was reported that the aircraft performed strike and then anti-air missions, probably using Kh-59MK2 and Kh-31 cruise missiles, and also engaged in electronic warfare. Subsequently, from October 2022, reports began to appear that these fighters were also participating in air battles - in particular, Su-217 of the Ukrainian Air Force (and possibly a Su-27 strike fighter) shot down at a maximum range of 24 kilometers was mentioned after strike on the Russian Belgorod region.

According to a UK Department of Defense report from January 2023, Su-57s used the R-37M missile, the longest-range Russian air-to-air missile with a maximum radius of 400 kilometers, capable of threatening maneuverable targets at ranges of over 200 kilometers.

Our Su-57s are good for everyone, with the exception of one circumstance - there are still too few of them at the front and there definitely won’t be many. These aircraft are expensive, complex, and produced in small series. There are no exact figures, but their fleet is estimated at around 10 units. In total, the Su-57 was planned to be transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces in the amount of 76 units. This, of course, is for the needs of the peacetime army.

Obviously, these plans will now have to be somehow revised, but the large-scale Su-57 is also unlikely to become. What to do?

Su-75


And here I would like to remind you that the Su-57 has its younger brother Su-75, also known as Checkmate. Presented at the MAKS-2021 air show, thanks to competent PR, the aircraft made a splash. But its tactical and technical characteristics objectively deserve attention.

The fighter also belongs to the fifth generation, as it was designed using of technologies reducing visibility on the radar. The Su-75 will have a top speed of Mach 1,8 at high altitude, a service ceiling of about 17 meters and a range of about 000 km. The fighter has great maneuverability, high thrust-to-weight ratio and advanced flight control systems. Unlike the Su-2500, its younger brother is equipped with only one engine, which significantly reduces the cost of purchase and subsequent operation. The Russian aircraft is positioned as a competitor to the American F-57 Lightning II, the Swedish JAS-35 Gripen, the Chinese J-39 and the Pakistani JF-10. Additional attractiveness is given to it by the declared price at the level of 17-25 million dollars.

Checkmate has only one problem: it is a purely initiative development of the manufacturing company, initially focused on foreign markets. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, as it sometimes happens with it, looks the other way, but in vain.

Today Russia is waging a hardest war against the entire NATO bloc represented by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is suffering painful losses. Ammunition is actively spent, armored vehicles are burning, downed aircraft are falling. From the bowels of the domestic military-industrial complex, unexpected hybrids of a "motorcycle" and a ship's artillery turret appear, which is an alarming symptom. All resources must go to ensure Victory. Without exaggeration, the very future of our country is at stake. How can one ignore a promising fifth-generation light fighter project in such a situation?

Such a light, maneuverable, inconspicuous, but at the same time inexpensive to manufacture and maintain aircraft in commercial quantities could clear the sky over Ukraine from old Soviet and quite modern fourth-generation NATO fighters. Even the F-35 can be a tough Checkmate. It's just what the doctor ordered!

The first few Su-75s should take to the skies as early as 2023, and the start of mass production even before the SVO was scheduled for 2026. In all its characteristics, Checkmate is a weapon for Russia's victory in the war for dominance in the skies over Ukraine. Probably, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation should somehow show interest in the domestic light multi-role fighter of the fifth generation, place a large order and shift the start date for serial assembly to the left. SVO is for a long time.
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19 comments
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  1. 0
    9 March 2023 16: 09
    Sergey, I think you can already forget about the Su 75, it will all remain on paper, unless they are sold to some Arabs or Indians as a superjet
    1. -4
      11 March 2023 19: 07
      there is his younger brother Su-75, also known as Checkmate.....

      Does he exist in reality?

      Such a light, maneuverable, inconspicuous, but also inexpensive aircraft to manufacture and maintain

      How can you evaluate something that does not exist?
  2. 0
    9 March 2023 16: 41
    Yes, you can no longer remember about many promises.
    The money was completely spent on PR, everyone remembers the promises how they are fulfilled (in no way), there seems to be no order from the Armed Forces or foreigners - apparently, he did not impress professionals and the military.
    And the rest is unknown.
    The cited characteristics are bogus promises (see above), while even the length / width is nowhere to be found.

    But according to the thesis of the article, literally the day before yesterday, more important data was published:
    To "Russia today is waging a hardest war against the entire NATO bloc"... ...the Kremlin and the media answered with pride; in 22, Russia set an 8-year record for exports to the EU (i.e. NATO and the Armed Forces of Ukraine), well, Asia and China were happy to sell what they could ...

    That's where the success, that's where the profit and growth!!
    Well, the word "should" in the title immediately reminds you of a CBO video with collectors)))))
  3. +3
    9 March 2023 17: 30
    Interestingly, in Soviet times, they learned about the latest developments on the battlefield, and so they were kept in the strictest confidence (for example, our moments in the sky of Korea were a surprise for the Americans), apparently so that the enemy could not take countermeasures in time, and now often vice versa. Everyone is promoting new equipment, but it is not on the battlefield. Although it also makes sense, let the enemies spend forces on countermeasures, but they will not be needed in the end.
  4. +4
    9 March 2023 18: 10
    In all its characteristics, Checkmate is the weapon of Russia's victory in the war for dominance in the skies over Ukraine

    This is how long the SVO should continue then (with our pace of design and production of advanced products, especially in the current sanctions conditions) ???
  5. -4
    9 March 2023 18: 24
    Su-75 Screamer = 10 Shoigu-burgs in eastern Russia =

  6. -3
    9 March 2023 20: 08
    APU planes do not end?
    So it's time to finish off all the incompetent leaders of the prapzvedka, and impale the armagandon - .sone = - on a stake, because the aviation of the Russian Federation, with its shameful infantry control, has become unsuitable for anything and is not able to stop the supply of weapons to Ukraine, having bombed bridges and border crossings , deliver the Airborne Forces where necessary.

    Why does Ukraine need FIGHTERS?
    AIRCRAFT OF THE VKS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION do not fly up to the line of contact for hundreds of kilometers.
  7. +2
    10 March 2023 03: 18
    They talked a lot, but simply did not give money for weapons. This is a multi-move and a cunning plan.
  8. +3
    10 March 2023 08: 25
    The series will go into 2026, and that’s not a fact, but no one will send raw in 2023 to Ukraine.
  9. +1
    10 March 2023 09: 15
    Yes? And Siluanov with gold and foreign exchange reserves? And in the FNB, how much money is frozen so that there are no modern, read expensive, types of weapons! For the government, the rules of the IMF are sacred, and the dollar is an idol!
    1. -2
      10 March 2023 09: 40
      Quote from depavel
      And Siluanov with gold and foreign exchange reserves?

      gold reserves did their job during the crises of 2008, 2014, 2016, 2020, softening the effect of sharp drops in oil prices. The maximum values ​​of those reserves were in 2008, before the crisis.
      Secondly, the presence of serious gold reserves in the country was an important factor for foreign investment in factories.
      Which are now practically given away to local management for nothing.
      The balance is in our favor.

      as an example:

      In the Kaluga region, the plant for the production of oils by Total, which was previously stopped due to sanctions and the inability to obtain raw materials, resumes operation. This is reported by the telegram channel of the governor of the region. The company will continue to produce motor oils under a new brand - Lemarc.

      another oil plant - Shell, located in the Tver region, became the property of the Lukoil company, along with a network of filling stations of the same name.
  10. +3
    10 March 2023 10: 16
    Now we need to think in the very first place not about the export of new and promising types of weapons, but about mass deliveries of them to the arsenal of the Russian Army, especially now there is still an excellent opportunity to test these new types of weapons in direct combat conditions, and this is worth a lot, at the test site it is simply impossible to fully test the weapon and reveal all its advantages and disadvantages.
    1. +2
      10 March 2023 16: 09
      Quote: sgrabik
      there is still an excellent opportunity to test these new types of weapons in direct combat conditions,

      This is very risky. In order to go into a real, and not training, battle, you need to be not just a test pilot, but an ace with COMBAT experience. And yes, you can't "ditch" the car in any way. All the more leave on someone else's territory. Then it will turn out, as during the departure of V. Stalin: a whole regiment covered him.
      But at its core, the Su-75 is a stealth fighter. And Caudle LA 4+ will only unmask it. Therefore, another problem is the method of using a pair of SHAH-MATs and the action of a single "hunter". It's definitely not for this war. All of the above, if it has not yet been worked out, simply will not keep up with the deadline.
      IMHO.
  11. The comment was deleted.
  12. DO
    0
    10 March 2023 12: 18
    Su-57
    Without entering the enemy air defense strike zone, any existing VKS tactical aviation aircraft, including "veterans", can launch long-range missiles at 200 ... 400 km, and drop gliding bombs. Such an expensive manned aircraft with unique characteristics is most likely not needed in Ukraine.

    The Mu-57 super-fighter needs worthy opponents - naval warships and their carrier-based aircraft (and in conjunction with the S-70, which was created for this), as well as serious missiles that can fly from across the sea. That is, this unique aircraft can functionally help the MiG-31 guard the Northern Sea Route (where the next provocations of "partners" are very likely), and replace these old aircraft.

    Su-75
    During the year of the SVO, the mass work of Russian aviation behind enemy lines was practically not used - due to the operation of modern air defense, supplied by the West to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
    Therefore, unmanned systems are operating in the rear of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - cruise missiles, Gerani.
    However, it seems that the unmanned modification of the Su-75, which would fly through the probable zones of air defense destruction at a dynamic ceiling and at supersonic speed, would significantly help in the work on the logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It could operate autonomously for the delivery of "smart" autonomous ammunition to the required point, and in a controlled mode, from the ground through an airborne radio signal repeater, and from an airborne control center (for example, it could be the Su-34 - its booking capsule would be not superfluous, because you can control high-flying unmanned bombers by pressing against the ground so as not to fall under the enemy’s long-range air defense).
  13. -1
    10 March 2023 16: 15
    Cool! Commentators know not only more than the government, but also more than all NATO intelligence services combined. You can immediately see people are well-read .. They read what the same "knowledgeable" people with 5 classes of education write. What you can think up on the go when going to work ... wave a broom or give bricks to a bricklayer ...
  14. 0
    10 March 2023 17: 29
    The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, as it sometimes happens with it, looks the other way, but in vain.

    In which? How are losses in the NWO compensated and with what?
  15. 0
    10 March 2023 17: 48
    March dreamer.
  16. 0
    11 March 2023 02: 03
    The Su-75 can be safely canceled and, on its basis, begin to make an unmanned version (without a cockpit at all).

    If there is a relationship between material / maneuverability / stealth, then choose the maximum stealth even at the expense of maneuverability, the strength of the hull to overload. In general, go radically to some composites or something that gives maximum stealth, but is still strong enough to fly more or less without sharp maneuvers.

    The main thing for him is to take off, have a good radar, side radars and sensors - that is, it is very good to see and be as inconspicuous as possible, including in thermal radiation. Speed ​​and maneuver are not needed at all in this scenario. Good rockets already exist.

    It would not be bad for him to sit down, he would be able to use asphalt on ordinary autobahns (even if using the beacons of ground teams).
    1. DO
      +1
      11 March 2023 15: 24
      In general, I think you are right.
      But

      The main thing for him is to take off, have a good radar, side radars and sensors - that is, it is very good to see and be as inconspicuous as possible, including in thermal radiation. Speed ​​and maneuver are not needed at all in this scenario. Good rockets already exist.

      A working radar cannot be unobtrusive. But even with the radar turned off, this aircraft has a turbojet engine. Under the detection of which the means of detecting modern air defense are sharpened. Therefore, in order to overcome enemy air defense zones, high speed is required, in some cases a hump maneuver at maximum height, in other cases, sharp anti-aircraft maneuvers that the pilot could not withstand.
      And long-range missiles have their own niche - important objects, because these missiles are very expensive. Ammunition, delivered by reusable unmanned aircraft, is orders of magnitude cheaper.