New Novelties Showcased

Prasun K. Sengupta

The 15^th International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS-2021) that was held from July 20 to 25 at the Zhukovsky, Moscow, hosted the exhibits of 538 Russian companies and 91 foreign participants from 20 countries. The expo’s hybrid format also enabled 202 foreign companies from 53 countries to take part. Thus, the expo was attended by 831 exhibitors from 56 countries.

Vympel JSC’s RVV-SD Izd.180 BVRAAM; RSC-MiG’s single-engined MRCA conception; Su-57 LTS; RSC-MiG’s TEDBF Solution-1

State-owned holding company Rostec’s United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) subsidiary used MAKS-2021 to unveil the mock-up of a new stealthy multi-role combat aircraft MRCA, presently referred to as the LTS ‘Checkmate’, which is likely to be known later as the Su-75. A product of the Sukhoi Experimental design bureau (OKB), the full-scale model was marked with the registration ‘RF-0075’ and the Bort (side number) ‘Blue 75,’ indicating that the LTS would have the design bureau designation T-75.

However, Rostec was claiming that the LTS is ready for flight-tests. Shortly before the expo began, ROTEC had released an English-language teaser video, which alluded that the LTS is aimed at the export market, with Argentina, India, the UAE, and Vietnam being highlighted. The inclusion of the UAE was expected, since at the IDEX expo held in Abu Dhabi in February 2017, the UAE and Russia had inked an agreement on industrial cooperation on military projects, including the development of a new-generation MRCA. It is still unclear if the Russian aerospace forces have a requirement for such a MR