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| The Russia Su-75 Checkmate Figter Jet |
The reason is that the Su-75 Checkmate is designed to be a low-cost alternative to the US F-35 fighter jet. Quoted from Defense Security Asia, last December the United Arab Emirates (UAE) decided to suspend the agreement signed with the United States during the administration by Donald Trump to acquire 50 fifth-generation F-35 aircraft and various other valuable weapons for US$23.3 billion.
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The deal, made when Trump became president of the United States, also involves the acquisition of 18 MQ-9B Reaper drones and various air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. The UAE's move to suspend the agreement is said to stem from President Jo Biden's administration imposing strict requirements on the UAE to ensure that F-35 technology does not fall into the hands of its enemy, China.
America is worried because the UAE has good relations with the Chinese side. Quoted from the Eurasian Times, it is said that the country's telecommunications giant, namely Huawei, has a large contract with the Gulf country.
The United States fears the Chinese company's 5G technology will interfere with the invisible technology of the F-35 fighter. In addition to the UAE's ties to Huawei, the Gulf state is also said to have an agreement with China that allows Beijing to set up secret military facilities in the Arab country's ports.
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The United States fears the UAE will not be able to keep secret US military technology from falling into enemy hands, at a time when it has close diplomatic ties with Beijing. Moscow hopes that the UAE will emerge as the first Arab country to become a customer of the Su-75 aircraft.
The head of Russia's Arms Agency, called "ROSTEC", Viktor Kladov said his side had held meetings with several UAE institutions such as the Tawazun Economic Council, Mubadala and the Edge Group.
Asked why Russia chose the UAE, Kladov said the Gulf state shows a deep interest in technological developments. ROSTEC is expected to start building the Su-57 "Checkmate" aircraft from 2026.
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According to information released at the Dubai Airshow, the wingspan of the "Checkmate" aircraft is about 11.8 meters while the length of the Su-75 is about 17.5 meters. proved that the size of the "Checkmate" fighter is larger than other single engines including the F-35, F-16 and Gripen.
Information released at the Dubai Airshow also indicates that the Russian Su-75 Checkmate aircraft can operate for about 2,800 km without the need for drop tanks and will be equipped with 11 hardpoints, five internal weapons bays and four external pylons.
According to ROSTEC Chief Executive Officer Sergey Chemezov in a statement, the Checkmate aircraft combines low visibility and the best system equipment, it is the most suitable aircraft in terms of combat effectiveness and cost per flight hour.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense must issue a statement saying that the Jo Biden administration remains committed to the contract for the sale of F-35 fighter jets, drones, and various weapons to the UAE.
But it wants a clear commitment from the UAE on a number of things during and after the arms shipment. Despite the strained relations between the UAE and the United States, the Gulf state has decided to acquire 80 Rafale fighter jets for $19 billion from France.
The UAE's move to buy the Rafale is a strategy to force Washington not to delay the sale of the F-35 and agree to a speedy sale process.
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Meanwhile, Russia is still trying to take advantage by offering the UAE to jointly develop its newest aircraft, the Sukhoi Su-75 "Checkmate" which is said to have "low-observability" features.