Yak-130 Mitten

The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a Russian subsonic, two-seat advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft developed by Yakovlev. The type entered service with the Russian Air Force in 2010. It is known for its ability to replicate the handling characteristics of Russian fourth-generation fighters and the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57.

Development

In 1991, the Soviet government initiated a program to replace Czech-built Aero L-29 and L-39 jet trainers, selecting Yakovlev's Yak-UTS design alongside the Mikoyan MiG-AT. In 1993, Yakovlev partnered with Italian manufacturer Aermacchi to co-develop the AEM/YAK-130D prototype, which made its first flight on 25 April 1996. Following the termination of the joint venture in 2000, Yakovlev pursued the design independently as the Yak-130, while Aermacchi developed the M-346. The Yak-130 won the Russian Air Force trainer tender in April 2002, with serial production initially handled by the Sokol plant before transferring to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant.

Design

The Yak-130 uses open-architecture digital avionics compliant with a MIL-STD-1553 Databus, a digital glass cockpit, and a four-channel digital fly-by-wire system (FBWS). Avionics include a head-up display, helmet-mounted sighting system, and GPS/GLONASS receivers updating an inertial reference system. Power is provided by two Ivchenko-Progress AI-222-25 turbofan engines generating a combined total of 49 kN of thrust. To support operations from unpaved airfields, the FBWS controls retractable engine intake blanking doors to block foreign object debris.

Armament

The aircraft carries a maximum combat load of 3,000 kg across eight hardpoints, consisting of two wingtip positions reserved for countermeasures and six under-wing stations. Weapons options include the SNPU-130 gun pod, 80 mm S-8 and S-25 unguided rockets, and R-73 infrared-homing air-to-air missiles. Ordnance carried by the aircraft includes FAB-M62, ZB-500, and KAB-500Kr bombs.

Operational History

The Russian Air Force accepted the Yak-130 into service in December 2009, with initial deliveries reaching a training center in Lipetsk in February 2010. Export operators include Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Iran. The Myanmar Air Force deployed the Yak-130 in combat during internal strikes starting in 2020. During operations over Tehran in 2026, Iranian Air Force Yak-130s flew air defense missions alongside MiG-29s, resulting in one Yak-130 being shot down by an Israeli F-35I Adir.

Variants

• Yak-130D: The initial prototype constructed for flight testing during the joint Russian-Italian development program.
• Yak-130: The standard dual-seat advanced jet trainer and light attack production model.
• Yak-131: A proposed single-seat light attack variant equipped with armor and radar, which was cancelled in 2011.
• Yak-130M: A modernized variant fitted with BRLS-130R AESA radar, SOLT-130K targeting systems, and SM-100 engines.
• Yak-133IB: A proposed fighter-bomber concept derived from the base airframe.