Yak-130: News

I know this isn't Russian Air Force, but it is Yak-130 except of the Bangladeshi Air Force and apparently either one hell of a crazy instructor or wild ass trainee, but either one made a horrible decision to perform a roll at something like 300 ft off the ground, lost orientation once recovering from the roll belly slammed into the ground and the rest is history.

This happened about a month ago. Both ejected, the latest is one died the other in critical condition.

Regarding the AESA... a training aircraft does not need an AESA radar... the Yak-130 doesn't have any sort of radar, unless it fits into a centreline pod.

The Yak-133 was supposed to be a single seat fighter version of the Yak-130 trainer, but they have been talking about that and the unmanned drone version for some time now.

I rather suspect this AESA radar was the competition for the Yak entry for a light 5th gen fighter in competition with the Su-75, and they are putting it out there as an option before the MiG and Sukhoi fighters make LIFTS obsolete.

If the Su-75 is 30 million and only 5K per hour operating costs then why buy a LIFT when your operational light fighter is probably cheaper to operate.

Yakovlev presents new Yak-130M light combat aircraft at Army-2024 exhibition.

At the Army-2024 exhibition, PJSC Yakovlev, a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) from Rostec, introduced the Yak-130M, an advanced version of the Yak-130 light combat aircraft. This new model was developed with the goal of expanding its combat capabilities and enhancing its competitiveness in the international market. The primary focus of this modernization is to address the needs of foreign partners who are looking for an alternative to heavier and more expensive aircraft.

According to Vladimir Artyakov, Deputy Director General of Rostec, the upgraded Yak-130M aircraft will now feature air-to-air missiles and high-precision air-to-ground weapons with satellite and laser guidance systems.

The Yak-130M's updates include significant expansions in its armament options compared to the original Yak-130. According to Vladimir Artyakov, Deputy Director General of Rostec, the upgraded aircraft will now feature air-to-air missiles and high-precision air-to-ground weapons with satellite and laser guidance systems. These enhancements allow the Yak-130M to function as a light fighter while still retaining its primary role as a training aircraft. Like the South Korean FA-50, the dual-purpose nature of this aircraft is expected to attract interest from countries that do not plan to invest in heavier combat aircraft.

The development of the Yak-130M has reached a critical phase, with the completion of design documentation for prototype production, as requested by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Andrey Boginsky, CEO of PJSC Yakovlev, announced that the assembly of experimental Yak-130M units has begun at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. Three experimental aircraft are planned, which will undergo comprehensive testing. Additionally, technical solutions related to the Yak-130M are currently being evaluated on existing prototype aircraft, including the model showcased at the Army-2024 forum.

The Yak-130M incorporates modern systems that enhance its operational capabilities, making it suitable for both training and combat missions in various conditions.These systems include the BRLS-130R onboard radar station, the SOLT-130K optical-laser thermal television system, the President-S130 onboard defense system, and the KSS-130 communications system. The Yak-130M's specifications include a maximum take-off weight of 10,290 kg, a combat load capacity of up to 2,500 kg across nine suspension points, and two AI-222-25 engines, each providing a maximum thrust of 2,500 kgf.


The Yak-130M can achieve a maximum speed of 950 km/h, a practical ceiling of 12,500 meters, and a flight range of 1,610 kilometers, which can be extended to 2,265 kilometers with external fuel tanks.

The Yak-130M light combat aircraft measures 11.49 meters in length, 4.64 meters in height, and has a wingspan of 9.85 meters. It can achieve a maximum speed of 950 km/h, a practical ceiling of 12,500 meters, and a flight range of 1,610 kilometers, which can be extended to 2,265 kilometers with external fuel tanks.The Yak-130 features a fully digital cockpit and fly-by-wire controls, and it can operate from a variety of runways.

In addition to its training role, the Yak-130 is also capable of performing light attack and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft can carry various weapons, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, bombs, and gun pods, with a maximum payload of 3,000 kg. Its nine hardpoints allow it to be deployed in light combat roles, such as counter-insurgency operations. Although the Yak-130 is a subsonic aircraft, it offers an option for smaller air forces that require a cost-effective platform for both training and combat operations.


https://armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2024/yakovlev-presents-new-yak-130m-light-combat-aircraft-at-army-2024-exhibition?utm_content=cmp-true

So essentially it is the EO thermal TV system of the Su-25 upgrade, wingtip jammers like the Su-35 uses, and an AESA radar set.

If that can fit on the Yak-130M then they should be able to do the same for the Su-25 as well as helicopters....

The question is, are these internal or pod mounted... the wing tip pods are obviously pod mounted but the radar and TV/FLIR, are they internal or pod mounted...

I would suspect centreline pod would be ideal for both but mounting one or the other in the nose would mean the other could be pod mounted and make it easier to have both.

Of course having both pod mounted means your entire trainer fleet can carry one or the other, with the defence pods on the wingtips.

The other question is are these tested and ready to go or do they want funding to develop them and are looking for customers interested?

The AESA radar for a LIFT and the MiG light 5th gen fighter model looking more like a stealthy LIFT than a MiG-35 replacement suggests there is Russian AF interest in a very light very cheap numbers aircraft.

This is more for the export market. I doubt russians want a so light fighter.

It coukd have its use in the russian air force tho. Specially at patroling against drones inside Russia and black sea. But those pods are all huge for the yak. The range will be dramatically reduced.

The point of small patrol platforms is density rather than range... having a decent IIR sensor and AESA radar means lots of targets a Yak-130 would miss might be spotted by this aircraft, and many of the drones they will be hunting could be engaged with laser guided S-8 80mm rockets so two x 20 shot rocket pods could mean 40 shots at most targets... fit it with a proximity fuse for air targets and a couple of gun pods for water surface targets and it would be quite interesting... the sensors making the difference because not only can they find targets better but they can also pass on target data to other platforms and HQs so they get awareness of such threats around the place.

Interestingly with an AESA radar a Yak-130 flying at medium altitude could operate out over the Black Sea and spot F-16s and Su-24s and Su-27s and MiG-29s flying low and fast trying to get to a launch position to launch attacks from unexpected directions... with the target data from one Yak-130 you could have S-400s launching SAMs from 400km away at targets flying a metre or two above the waves... and of course MiG-31s and Su-35s launching long range AAMs can use target data from small aircraft too...

But really, having lots of small aircraft is about data collection as well as coverage... having MiG-35s would be better because it could be much faster with much longer range with a larger radar antenna and of course it already has thermal and TV optics in its FLIR and it has a belly mounted EO position for targets on the ground too.

Some might get shot down, but they will lead to a lot more enemy attacks being stopped and more Russian lives being saved...

I do agree these upgrades would make more sense for an export customer using the Yak-130 and perhaps other similar light aircraft.

You would think if they are able to make such small AESA radars that a new radar for the MiG-35 should be ready too... but if they are going into service then that would likely be kept secret for the time.

This AESA is for export so it makes sense to reveal it to get customer interest... if you want a light modern fighter but stealth is not important then this looks really good.

Edit: would be an interesting purchase for Argentina as a light numbers fighter with R-77-1 missiles and RVV-MD2 missiles too... and then perhaps a purchase of Su-35s... with the west giving Kiev long range weapons and moving towards permission to use them as they please, Russia can supply all sorts of land attack weapons to various countries with a bone to pick with western colonial powers....

Well for naval drones a volley of unguided s-5 rockets is enough. Against slow air drones just hard manouevres to create turbulences and make it crash and for the faster ones r-60M will do the job.

As suggested I think it's more for export sales however it would be useful to Wagner troops in Africa or Russian forces deployed in low intensity or against low tech forces. Being cheaper, smaller, cheaper to maintain, easier to fly, and able to operate from less than ideal conditions, it would be ideal for African conflicts and if some do get lost then the cost isn't as great as losing a Su-30/35 etc. there was video footage of Myanmar using yak-130 in combat. And pictures of Belarusian Yak-130 armed with various rocket pods and missiles. All Russia is doing now is tweaking it for a more combat focused role to make it more attractive for customers and fill this niche in the market. It's a bit like the Ansat 2RC helicopter that I posted a while back it fills a niche role in the market. This affectively gives Russia a finger in every niche on the arms market so when a customer comes asking for X, Y and Z in their needs Russia can say yes we have X,Y and Z instead of saying sorry we can only offer X and Z you will have to look elsewhere for Y

With Russia gain influence in Africa then the Yak-130M along with Ansat 2RC is ideal for this type of customer. A lot of poorer nations don't have high tech threat, or the budget to field high end aircraft. Also you have to remember their is no point spending your entire air force budget on a squadron of Su-35 and a squadron of Ka-52 when your needs are for low tech threats and you need two squadrons of each to cover the countries air space. It's why many African nations opted for Mi-24, Mi-8, Mig-21, Mig-23, J-7 and kept them for so long because they are fit for purpose reliable and cheap to maintain. It's only due to age and wear and tear that they are now looking at replacing these not for more high spec aircraft but rather something similar in capabilities, price, maintenance, for for purpose, with only some modern upgrades. And in most cases a Mig-29M, Mig-35, Su-30, Mi-28, Ka-52 is over kill or just too expensive in every way. So I think Mi-35, Yak-130M, will see more orders in Africa. It's a pity we haven't seen sales for Ansat 2RC orders as it's a fairly capable little combat helicopter ideal for taking out drug warlord's etc. anyway my 10 pence worth lol

If they buy those they will buy less real fighters. Not really a good idea when they are buying just 76 su-57 till 2027 and all their potential enemies are buying f-35s.

Lot of other countries would love to have it. Syria, Egypt, Mali, Belorussia, Vietnam. Algeria could be interested too.

Ansat 2RC would be a very good plateform to launch atgm at advancing enemy forces above friendly positions like during the counter offensive.

Well for naval drones a volley of unguided s-5 rockets is enough.

For use as warning shots then unguided rockets makes sense, or a landing party of a large number of men spread out so that one hit wont take them all out then a volley of unguided rockets spread around a bit would be the best solution, but as most naval surface drones will have large payloads... perhaps 300kgs of HE intended to damage ships then a single guided rocket would be more effective if the target is jinking and swerving in the water when it realises it has been spotted.

From the sounds of things they seem to have decided that door mounted guns in helicopters seem to work best for such work so even just using the AESA radar and EO systems to find drones and call in Hinds with door mounted guns to deal with the problem...

Having cheaper lighter platforms for export makes sense and also for domestic use in some niche roles.

The Yak is not supersonic but it can move around an area much faster than a helicopter or ground vehicle could manage.

With a proper radar and EO systems it can find targets many cheaper simpler platforms might miss too.

The production rate of the Su-57 is yet to be determined... if it is not too expensive and proves effective... which currently seems to be the case then they might order it in significant numbers, but it was never supposed to be a numbers aircraft.

Affordable and capable and effective would make it a good export model too.