Russian airframer United Aircraft (UAC) has begun development of a new single-engined jet trainer it refers to as the MiG-UTS.
Announced on 29 December 2023 by UAC parent Rostec, few details of the planned aircraft have been provided, save for the fact that a single engine will be used to ensure it is “affordable and inexpensive” to operate.
The Russian air force currently uses the 1970s-era Aero Vodochody L-39 in the training role, with 182 examples in service, Cirium data records. These have an average age of 37 years.
However, Moscow has identified a growing need for a replacement. “We have great doubts about supporting the operation of the aircraft on which the main training of pilots is carried out today,” says Sergei Korotkov, general designer and deputy general director of UAC.
“Therefore, a new training tool is required that will allow us to effectively train flight and technical personnel.”
UAC has selected the Ivchenko-Progress AI-222-25 to power the MiG-UTS as it is already in service with the twin-engined Yakovlev Yak-130.
Elements from earlier programmes, including the MiG-AT trainer – a mothballed design that was previously proposed as an L-39 replacement – will be used in the -UTS in order to speed up development, the airframer says.
