Russia has unveiled an uncrewed version of its Light Tactical Aircraft (LTA), the Sukhoi Su-75 ‘Checkmate’, during the Dubai Air Show 2025. The model, displayed without a cockpit and marked with the number “750”, suggests that the aircraft may be developed as a loyal wingman drone.

The showcase marks a new stage in the long-running LTA program, which was first revealed to great fanfare in 2021 but has since faced uncertain development progress. While the mock-up was small and static, it signals Sukhoi’s continued interest in positioning the Su-75 as a modular combat platform adaptable for manned and unmanned operations.

The Su-75 display was accompanied by other Russian aviation mock-ups, including the Irkut MC-21-310 commercial airliner and the Su-57 fighter jet.

Russian representatives at the event declined to provide details about the uncrewed variant, a common pattern in Russian Air Show presentations where design models often precede confirmed development activity.

Actual aircraft flown into Dubai included the Su-57E export-model stealth fighter, the Kamov Ka-32 transport helicopter, the Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A heavy-lift aircraft, and the Yakovlev Y-130 trainer. Russian Helicopters also showcased a light utility platform.

Turning the Su-75 into an uncrewed or optionally piloted aircraft aligns with global trends in loyal wingman concepts. The Russian Ministry of Defence and industry groups have been exploring unmanned combat aircraft such as the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B and the Kronshtadt Grom. Both are envisioned to operate alongside manned fighters, providing strike and reconnaissance support.

Sukhoi’s marketing material portrays the Su-75 as a multi-role stealth aircraft for export to nations seeking cheaper alternatives to Western designs. The LTA is advertised to operate independently or in networked groups, capable of engaging aerial and surface targets under electronic warfare conditions.

It features 13 external and five internal hardpoints, with a claimed payload of 6,000–7,400 kg and propulsion from a single Saturn AL-51 derivative engine. These specifications suggest ambitions to compete with platforms like the Saab Gripen E, KF-21 Boramae, and the Turkish Kaan.

Despite this, there is little indication that the Russian Aerospace Forces intend to procure the aircraft. Analysts note that, since the imposition of US CAATSA sanctions in 2017, Russia’s fighter export market has sharply contracted. As a result, the Su-75 appears more like a commercial showcase aimed at attracting foreign investment than a funded Russian military programme.

The absence of a full-scale manned prototype at Dubai, four years after its initial unveiling, raises doubts about the programme’s viability. Reports from 2023 suggested that Russia aimed to roll out a prototype by 2025, but there is no public evidence that this deadline will be met.

Amid economic strain and sanctions, Moscow’s defence spending has prioritised replenishment of current war inventories and the production of proven platforms such as the Su-34 and Su-35. 

Simultaneously, resources have been diverted to symbolic high-profile projects, including the 9M730 Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. Analysts often describe these systems as propaganda-oriented rather than strategically practical.

If realised, an uncrewed Su-75 variant could offer Russia a cost-effective means to field stealth drones capable of coordinated operations with manned fighters. However, current technological gaps in AI-assisted flight control, satellite data links, and sensor fusion place Russian efforts behind ongoing American and Chinese projects.

While the United States and China are advancing rapidly toward operational autonomous combat aircraft, Russia’s progress appears to hinge more on maintaining perception and export visibility than on immediate production capacity.

The Dubai appearance, therefore, functions less as a technical milestone and more as a reminder of Sukhoi’s struggle to keep its next-generation ambitions alive amidst severe fiscal and industrial limitations.

International Agencies