Irkut is to supply the Russian air force with another 65 Yakovlev-designed Yak-130s, as it also prepares to make its first deliveries of the advanced jet trainer to launch export customer Algeria.
Confirmation of the planned order came last week from Russian air force commander Gen Alexander Zelin, who said a contract would be signed later this month to cover deliveries to run through 2017.
Russian air force combat pilots have been undergoing training on the Yak-130 since April 2011, with eight of the type currently in use.
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"The pilots speak in favour of its high manoeuvrability, stability and controllability," Irkut said. Company assessments indicate that the service could eventually acquire 250 to 300 of the aircraft, which is also being offered in a light-attack configuration.
Deliveries from a 16-aircraft order with the Algerian air force will start before the end of the year, with the nation's first pilots having already undergone flight instruction in Russia. Once fielded, the trainers will be used in preparation for flying the Sukhoi Su-30MKA.
Irkut has opted against bringing an aircraft to the show, but is touting its design's lower unit cost and claimed enhanced ground-attack capabilities when compared with rivals like the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 and BAE Systems Hawk.
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Source: Flight Daily News
