Deepening the renewal of their new pilot training platforms, the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation have received a new batch of Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced trainers. This news, reported on June 10, gains significance as it marks the first batch of this class of training aircraft delivered in 2024 by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of the United Aircraft Corporation (part of the State Corporation Rostec).
As of today, the Yakovlev Yak-130 is the most advanced training and training platform in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, intended to replace the old Soviet-era trainers. With both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities, the aircraft provides basic and advanced training for future front-line fighter pilots.
However, as is common with such announcements made by Rostec and the UAC, the number of units in this batch has not been disclosed. The only confirmed detail is that it is the first batch of 2024. The last batch before this was delivered in December 2023, when an unspecified number of Yak-130s were handed over to the Aerospace Forces alongside Su-30SM2 fighter-bombers.
To mark this new milestone for the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, the UAC shared on its Telegram channels a video of one of these new Yak-130s taking off. Additionally, in its official statement on June 10, the general director of the United Aircraft Corporation, Yuri Slyusar, stated: “… At this stage, significant factory resources are also focused on fulfilling the tasks of supplying Su-30SM fighters and Yak-130 training and combat aircraft for the needs of the army and navy. The Yak-130s manufactured in Irkutsk today play an important role in the practical training of pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces.”
Looking ahead, it is also important to highlight some developments the UAC has been working on to enhance the capabilities of the Yak-130. One of these is the development of a new version of the AI-222-25 engine, designated the “CM-100”. Along with the installation of this new propulsion system and other new equipment, Russian media have introduced this new version of the advanced trainer as the “Yak-130M”. During the ARMY 2023 fair, officials from the state consortium indicated that this new engine “… will have improved characteristics with similar dimensions and weight; in particular, maximum power will increase by 20% and service life will double.”
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