United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the conglomerate which controls Sukhoi and other major Russian aircraft manufacturers, received a patent on the appearance of the Checkmate fifth-generation fighter jet.  

The company filed a patent for the “industrial model” of the aircraft in July 2021 and it was received on August 2, 2022, a document published by the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS) shows.  

The equivalent to a registered industrial design in other countries, the industrial model patent secures the company’s right to use an ornamental or aesthetic aspect of the product, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.   

The patent gives UAC the right to prevent other parties from making, selling, or importing articles that can be considered copies of the original patented design.  

According to FIPS, the patent does not concern the physical functions of the product. In 2021, Sukhoi filed a separate patent for a “Light tactical aircraft”, which described a single-engine fighter jet with a V-tail.  

The Sukhoi Checkmate, sometimes incorrectly referred-to as the Sukhoi Su-75, is a prospective fifth-generation fighter jet revealed by UAC in July 2021.  

The aircraft was primarily intended for export, with Rostec, UAC’s parent company, initiating the aircraft’s development without the involvement of Russian Aerospace Forces.  

As of mid-2022, no international or domestic orders for the Checkmate have been reported, while in May 2022 the aircraft’s production date was delayed to 2027.  

Its maiden flight has also been postponed until 2025, despite initial statements claiming that a prototype is already ready for flight.