August 17, 2009: The Russian Air Force has begun receiving its new jet trainer, the Yak-130 [VIDEO]. Deliveries to the first export customer, Algeria, will begin next year. Four years ago, Russia decided to standardize on the Yak-130 jet trainer, and production began two years ago. So far, the Russian Air Force has bought 56. Algeria has ordered 16. The Russian Air Force says it will eventually buy another 200 of them to equip four regiments of light attack aircraft.
The Yak-130 is capable of performing many of the tricky maneuvers of Russias top fighters (like the Su-27, MiG-29 and many modern Western fighters). It can also perform as a light bomber. The nine ton aircraft has a max speed of 1,000 kilometers an hour and a flight lifetime of 10,000 hours in the air. The pilot instructor and trainee sit one behind the other, and two engines make it a safer aircraft to fly. The Yak-130 can carry an external load of three tons (of bombs, missiles or fuel tanks). Max range, on internal fuel, is 2,000 kilometers. Russia is selling the aircraft to foreign customers for about $15 million.
