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The Cold War of the 20th century between the United States and the then Soviet Union may be over,
but a 21st century arms race continues at full speed ahead between the United States and Russian Federation.
The latter, now depleted of all its former Soviet republics, continues to be a thorn in the side of America’s military aviation industry and its allies.
It’s not by chance that Russia continues to use its famous May Day celebrations to show off its military might and hardware, much as the Soviets did back during the USSR days.
Like any military power, Russia makes a big song and dance of the unveiling of any new aircraft.
Such was the case with a new fighter jet that many aviation experts believe will be a direct competitor to the U.S.’s F-35 plane.
The plane comes with not one but two catchy nicknames, namely the Sukhoi LTS Screamer or LTS Sukhoi Checkmate. The Russians, rather wryly, refer to it simply as the ‘Checkmate’.
Let’s not forget that the Russians are chess masters bar none, so a plane dubbed that does command some of my attention…
Many have noted how the Sukhoi LTS Checkmate looks a lot like the Lockheed Martin-made F-35 stealth jet.
Similarities between Russia’s ‘Checkmate’ and America’s F-35 are particularly stark design-wise.
For example, like the F-35, the Russian Checkmate includes widely-splayed, split-angled tails, a narrow fuselage that houses a single engine, and large wings that are somewhat diamond-shaped.
However, rather than being a case of the Checkmate being a copy of the F-35, these similarities shouldn’t be too surprising. After all, any stealth aircraft is fundamentally constrained by the aerodynamic limitations imposed by having stealth features. One can only defy physics so much.
Further design features of the Checkmate include its cropped delta wing and moveable fins that act as ruddervators, which provide control on both the pitch and yaw axes.
Sharp-eyed analysts felt its most striking feature is its intake, designed as a chin inlet slung under and wrapped around the lower fuselage but with a still-flat underside.
The size of its wings suggest the plane could climb to 40,000 feet or higher, but of course being a … secret project… we don’t know for sure.
Weapon bays for two short-range air-to-air missiles are found at either side of the fuselage, with capacity for three longer-range weapons carried in the lower bay, as well as an internal gun.
The Checkmate can also carry weapons on external pylons for missions not requiring stealth.
The internal weapons bay is designed to carry both air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance, including both infrared- and radar-guided air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles, guided and unguided bombs
and unguided rockets.
In terms of weight, the plane’s maximum combat load is 7.4 tonnes, which includes a range of air-to-surface weaponry, with a maximum take-off weight or MTOW of approximately 18 tonnes.
As for speed, Rostec claims the plane can achieve Mach 1.8 and can fly supersonically without the use of afterburner,
with an 8G manoeuvring rate. Its powerplant would probably be the engine used to power the Su-57 twinjet.
The Sukhoi LTS Checkmate will have an open systems architecture, with an automated logistics system known as Matreshka, similar in functionality to the systems on the F-35.
Other features of the plane heralded by Rostec include that it will feature artificial intelligence or AI in some capacity, although to what extent and to what end that AI will be used in the aircraft remains, for now, unknown. However, AI will no doubt be used for the plane’s voice-control technology.
Speaking of AI, a Rostec spokesperson commented that both a two-seat manned version and an unmanned version of the Checkmate are being considered for development.
Leaving us to wonder if the future of Russia's airforce will be metal pilots.
1 сен 2021
