The Russian fighter Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate in the process of building prototypes will never enter serial production. This is what the former National Security Council staffer in the George W. Bush Administration said to 19FortyFive journalists.

According to the former spokesman, there will be quite a light demand for the Su-75, especially because of “the representation of Moscow in Ukraine”. A former Bush administration official described Russia’s performance in Ukraine as “pathetic.” 19FortyFive did not specifically mention the name of their source, who claims that amid the construction of Russian aircraft and aircraft carriers in recent years, he does not care “a ruble for any of Putin’s junk.”

The American online publication says that if the Su-75 goes into serial production, it will allow some nations to have a fifth-generation stealth fighter. However, the publication says that Russian claims of “full comparability” with the American F-35 Lightning II fighter are greatly exaggerated and “completely misleading”. “The Su-75 may be a capable aircraft and an affordable alternative to the F-35 – but it’s still not the F-35,” the publication said.

BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that at the last international military forum Army-2022 in Moscow, General Director of United Aircraft Corporation Yury Slyusar announced that the production of the first working prototypes of the Su-75 Checkmate, of which there will be a total of four, has begun.

According to the head of the Russian aircraft manufacturer, an unmanned version of the fighter is also being prepared. “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.

However, 19FortyFive says in its article that the Su-75 Checkmate has only one advantage at the moment – it uses equipment and components from the Su-57. That is, as the American online publication claims – it uses “recycled” research and development. The fighter relies on off-the-shelf components, “which could be critical to any effort to meet the Su-75’s short deadline.”

According to the claims of the Russian manufacturer, the first test flight should be carried out in 2024. However, BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that Russia has repeatedly changed the date of the first test flight. Before Armi-2022, the Russian manufacturer claimed that the first flight would take place in 2023. That obviously won’t happen. The date 2024 is also uncertain.