The Yak-130M sports activities a bunch of upgrades, together with a complicated AESA radar, avionics, radio communications and concentrating on suites.
One yr after Russia’s United Plane Company (UAC) introduced the upgraded Yak-130M coach and lightweight fighter plane idea, the corporate unveiled its second manufactured prototype. The plane ‘002’ sported a lightweight and dark-grey pixelated livery with UAC and Russian Aerospace Forces’ ‘Crimson Star’ markings, and is about to start quickly floor and taxi trials.
Studies stated a complete of three prototypes are deliberate, with ‘001’ introduced as the primary idea prototype, manufactured on the Irkutsk Aviation Plant in Moscow. UAC and Russian media have formally recognized a complicated AESA (Energetic Electronically Scanned Array) radar, avionics, radio communications and concentrating on suite upgrades for the Yak-130M.
This displays the aggressive push within the extremely aggressive international marketplace for the superior jet coach and lightweight fighter phase, typically utilized by smaller regional powers, creating and under-developed international locations. UAC executives additionally stated the Yak-130M’s growth was influenced by present ongoing conflicts.
Completion of the second prototype of the Yak-130M plane✅
Specialists from the Yakovlev firm have manufactured the second prototype of the Yak-130M coaching and fight plane as a part of experimental design work. The plane is painted within the conventional pixel… pic.twitter.com/zQkP9KQfik
— 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐙 🇷🇺 🇷🇺 (@SMO_VZ) October 23, 2025
Yak-130M’s second prototype
The UAC stated in a Telegram put up that the Yak-130M is “painted within the conventional pixel camouflage utilized in Russian aviation.” The put up additional added “subsequently, the plane will be a part of floor and flight assessments. In the meantime, meeting of the third unit is underway.”
The corporate recognized the brand new techniques put in because the BRLS-130R AESA “onboard radar station,” the SOLT-130K “four-in-one optical-laser-thermal-television system,” the President-S130 “onboard protection advanced” with a Missile Method Warning System, Radar Warning Receivers, energetic jammer and a countermeasure dispenser, and the KSS-130 communication system. “The mixing of recent onboard techniques will enable the Yak-130M for use for coaching and fight functions across the clock and in troublesome climate situations,” the UAC stated.
Russia presents Yak-130M: A modernized plane for each coaching and fight missions
The Yakovlev Firm has introduced its design for the Yak-130M fight coach plane with enhanced capabilities on the Military 2024 Worldwide Army-Technical Discussion board, chief designer Dmitry… pic.twitter.com/dA4YyCrCOH
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) August 14, 2024
On the Military 2024 exhibition in Russia, UAC executives additionally stated that they’ve modernized the Yak-130M’s “engine management system complexes,” and reiterated practically all parts and spares have been indigenized, following Western sanctions after February 2022. The jet can carry a complete of two,500 kg of exterior payload on 9 hardpoints, and B-8M1 20-round rocket pods had been additionally proven as part of its payload at Military 2024.
UAC stated the “second prototype” of the Yak-130M “coaching and fight plane” is a “a part of experimental design work.” This means small-scale industrial actions and presumably a restricted acquisition by the RuAF (Russian Aerospace Forces) to exhibit its operational effectiveness.
It have to be famous that the RuAF already makes use of the Su-25 Frogfoot floor assault jet in Ukraine. The Su-25 can also be in use by the Ukrainian, Belarussian and Azerbaijani air forces, with vital effectiveness in frontline tactical CAS (Shut Air Help) with each guided and unguided munitions.
Russia’s United Plane Company (UAC), and Yakolev unveils the Yak 130M fight coaching plane on the #Army2024
• New superior Multi-Mode Radar• Superior sensors and expanded envelope of armament, together with 4x digital warfare pods• New communication techniques pic.twitter.com/VKKIlL4Fph
— Army Africa (@militaryafrica) August 15, 2024
“The Yak-130M was developed based mostly on the evaluation and generalization of aviation expertise in native and regional conflicts. The creation of sunshine fight plane based mostly on training-combat machines aligns with international tendencies within the growth of navy aviation,” Dmitry Popov, the Yak-130M’s deputy chief designer stated within the UAC launch.
Yak-130M’s future
The Yak-130M’s opponents within the superior jet coach and lightweight fighter phase embody the KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries) FA-50, the Leonardo M-346, and future deliberate iterations of the Turkish Hurjet.
طبق مصاحبه آقای رومن تاسکاف همچین چیزی اسمشه تست پایلوت (خلبان آزمایش گر ) شرکت هواپیمایی متحد روسیه UAC سه پروتوتایپ (پیش نمونه) هواپیمای تهاجمی سبک و آموزشی YAK-130M ساخته شده و در حال گذراندن آزمایشات خود است.حالا این جنگنده چیست؟خب این جنگنده همان یاک ۱۳۰ است که یک… pic.twitter.com/irMnTXdFDj
— Reza_Mad (@maysam21901) October 14, 2024
“The Yak-130M is being created on the idea of the Yak-130, whose traits enable for coaching pilots of fourth and fifth technology fighters. The principle aim of the continued modernization is to broaden the fight capabilities of the plane. The up to date plane will be capable of be armed with air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles,” the UAC assertion added.
Their weaponization with each air-to-air and surface-strike munitions makes them efficient level and space protection plane, meant to sort out each enemy fighters, ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. Some analysts additionally classify them as LIFT (Lead-In Fighter Trainers).
The UAC’s plan to reinforce the Yak-130M’s marketability for this position by operational use within the Russia-Ukraine struggle would subsequently solely materialize if the RuAF acquires it. The Yak-130M’s BRLS-130R AESA radar fused with the R-77M BVR (Past Visible Vary) air-to-air missile would additionally assist unburden Russia’s overstretched homeland air protection techniques.
Ukraine has affordable success in exploiting these issues, delivering some deep, painful strikes into Russian cities and airbases with previous Soviet-era Strizh high-speed drones.
The SOLT-130K concentrating on pod for Yak-130M is a brand new model of the SOLT-25 system, initially developed by the Krasnogorsk Plant (ZENIT) for Su-25SM3.It consists of:gyroscopic stabilization,video digicam,thermal imaging digicam (MWIR, 640×512 pixels),laser rangefinder-designator, pic.twitter.com/WHtIVCBWAa
— H. Memarian (@HEMemarian) October 10, 2025
The IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Pressure) grew to become the Yak-130’s newest buyer in September 2023, when two of the primary plane delivered had been captured in official pictures sporting Iranian nationwide and IRIAF livery. Since then, the IRIAF Yak-130 has been noticed with a Russian R-73E short-range AAM and has shot down drones in workouts.
This allowed a model of the purpose/space protection mission to be demonstrated, albeit in opposition to a easy goal like a drone and by the baseline coach model. Nonetheless, the IRIAF’s main position for the Yak-130 is to coach pilots for the long-awaited Russian Su-35S and the classic F-4E Phantom IIs and F-14 Tomcats – whereas they’re nonetheless round.
The Yak-130 can also be utilized in Algeria, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Belarus, Myanmar and Laos.
An IRIAF Yak-130 coach carrying an R-73 coaching spherical, seemingly close to Isfahan airbase.
It carries serial no. 106, which means IRIAF has not less than 6 Yak-130s in service. pic.twitter.com/cwsL2lBSKh
— Aᴍɪʀ (@AmirIGM) December 8, 2024
Yak-130
The Yak-130 was initially a collaborative challenge between the YDB (Yakovlev Design Bureau) and Italy’s Aermacchi. Whereas the challenge didn’t transfer ahead, each international locations proceeded with their particular person applications, resulting in equally designed plane.
Rome’s M-346 Grasp entered service in 2010, produced by Leonardo, which integrated Aermacchi. YDB’s Yak-130 in the meantime supplemented the getting older fleet of Czechoslovakian Aero L-39 Albatross trainers.
The plane was inducted within the RuAF in July 2009. The primary restricted collection plane had been manufactured in Might 2003, adopted by flight assessments of the ultimate manufacturing variant in April 2004.
Official testing then happened in Might 2005, and full trials of the superior fight coach, together with spin and fight techniques trials, had been concluded in December 2009.
The primary 4 of 12 Yak-130s reached RuAF items between February 2010 and April 2010, with different 5 plane delivered in April 2011, as per Russian studies. About 120 Yak-130s are reportedly now in service within the RuAF.
