Russia sends Yak-130M combat trainer to trials for all-weather training and light attack
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United Aircraft Corporation says the first Yak-130M built at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has entered ground and flight testing, with two more aircraft on the line. The upgrade seeks to push the proven Yak-130 beyond advanced training into credible day-night, all-weather light combat, a low-cost force multiplier many operators are watching.
On October 10, 2025, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation confirmed that the first Yak-130M prototype built at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has entered the ground and flight-test phase, with two additional airframes currently in assembly, as reported by Rostec. The program upgrades the existing Yak-130 to extend its use beyond advanced training into a credible light-combat role suitable for day-night, all-weather operations. The announcement signals Moscow’s intent to refresh its trainer fleet while extracting greater combat utility from a proven platform, a move closely watched by operators weighing low-cost force multipliers. Rostec’s disclosure provides the first official technical outline of the configuration headed into trials.
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The emergence of the Yak-130M prototype therefore marks a notable pivot: a trainer conceived to emulate fourth- and fifth-generation fighters now configured to shoulder discrete combat tasks while preserving its core instructional role (Picture source: Rostec)
Developed by Yakovlev, the Yak-130M retains the twin-engine, tandem-seat airframe and embedded training architecture of the baseline Yak-130 but adds a suite of mission systems meant to close the gap with light fighters. According to the manufacturer, the prototype integrates the BRLS-130R radar, the SOLT-130K electro-optical/laser targeting system, the President-S130 defensive aids suite, and the KSS-130 communications complex. With these additions, the aircraft is intended to employ air-to-air missiles and precision-guided air-to-surface munitions with satellite and laser guidance, enabling 24/7 flight training and combat sorties in adverse weather while preserving full LIFT (Lead-In Fighter Trainer) functionality.
The Yak-130 family has been in Russian service since 2010 and has seen export adoption for advanced training and light-attack roles. Beyond the Russian Aerospace Forces, the type has been fielded by operators including Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus and Laos, with Iran receiving its first airframes in 2023; Tehran has since showcased missile employment from the platform during exercises. Vietnam also placed an order for Yak-130 trainers in 2020, underscoring the aircraft’s appeal as a cost-conscious bridge to fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. This operational record provides the springboard for the Yak-130M’s deeper modernization now entering test.
In capability terms, the Yak-130M’s sensor and weapon integration positions it closer to peer light-combat trainers. Italy’s M-346FA adds a dedicated Grifo-M-346 fire-control radar and multirole weapon set to its trainer airframe, a model several air forces use for air policing and close air support. South Korea’s FA-50, derived from the T-50, has evolved into a compact multirole fighter; recent export blocks incorporate modern radars and datalinks and are widely employed for quick-reaction alert and strike training. If the Yak-130M’s BRLS-130R and SOLT-130K deliver the advertised situational awareness and precision-strike performance, Russia’s upgraded type would occupy the same category: an aircraft that trains frontline pilots while undertaking light-attack, CAS, and point-defense tasks with a lower operating cost than traditional fighters.
Strategically, the Yak-130M is designed to serve two audiences. Domestically, it shores up Russia’s pilot pipeline by offering a modernized LIFT cockpit and mission systems that better replicate frontline avionics while also providing a readily deployable light-attack asset for secondary theaters or base defense. Internationally, Russian industry has signaled plans to market the Yak-130M across the Asia–Pacific and African markets where budgets are constrained but demand persists for multirole aircraft able to train, police airspace, and prosecute precision strikes. In this sense, the Yak-130M functions as both an industrial continuity program and a bid to retain share in a segment contested by the M-346FA and FA-50 families.
The emergence of the Yak-130M prototype therefore marks a notable pivot: a trainer conceived to emulate fourth- and fifth-generation fighters now configured to shoulder discrete combat tasks while preserving its core instructional role. If testing validates the new radar-EO-defensive suite and if production scales on schedule, the aircraft could give Russia and prospective customers a pragmatic tool for sustaining pilot proficiency and generating affordable combat capacity under tighter budgets. The testing campaign announced this week will determine whether that promise translates from specification sheets to squadron utility.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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United Aircraft Corporation says the first Yak-130M built at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has entered ground and flight testing, with two more aircraft on the line. The upgrade seeks to push the proven Yak-130 beyond advanced training into credible day-night, all-weather light combat, a low-cost force multiplier many operators are watching.
On October 10, 2025, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation confirmed that the first Yak-130M prototype built at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has entered the ground and flight-test phase, with two additional airframes currently in assembly, as reported by Rostec. The program upgrades the existing Yak-130 to extend its use beyond advanced training into a credible light-combat role suitable for day-night, all-weather operations. The announcement signals Moscow’s intent to refresh its trainer fleet while extracting greater combat utility from a proven platform, a move closely watched by operators weighing low-cost force multipliers. Rostec’s disclosure provides the first official technical outline of the configuration headed into trials.
The emergence of the Yak-130M prototype therefore marks a notable pivot: a trainer conceived to emulate fourth- and fifth-generation fighters now configured to shoulder discrete combat tasks while preserving its core instructional role (Picture source: Rostec)
Developed by Yakovlev, the Yak-130M retains the twin-engine, tandem-seat airframe and embedded training architecture of the baseline Yak-130 but adds a suite of mission systems meant to close the gap with light fighters. According to the manufacturer, the prototype integrates the BRLS-130R radar, the SOLT-130K electro-optical/laser targeting system, the President-S130 defensive aids suite, and the KSS-130 communications complex. With these additions, the aircraft is intended to employ air-to-air missiles and precision-guided air-to-surface munitions with satellite and laser guidance, enabling 24/7 flight training and combat sorties in adverse weather while preserving full LIFT (Lead-In Fighter Trainer) functionality.
The Yak-130 family has been in Russian service since 2010 and has seen export adoption for advanced training and light-attack roles. Beyond the Russian Aerospace Forces, the type has been fielded by operators including Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus and Laos, with Iran receiving its first airframes in 2023; Tehran has since showcased missile employment from the platform during exercises. Vietnam also placed an order for Yak-130 trainers in 2020, underscoring the aircraft’s appeal as a cost-conscious bridge to fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. This operational record provides the springboard for the Yak-130M’s deeper modernization now entering test.
In capability terms, the Yak-130M’s sensor and weapon integration positions it closer to peer light-combat trainers. Italy’s M-346FA adds a dedicated Grifo-M-346 fire-control radar and multirole weapon set to its trainer airframe, a model several air forces use for air policing and close air support. South Korea’s FA-50, derived from the T-50, has evolved into a compact multirole fighter; recent export blocks incorporate modern radars and datalinks and are widely employed for quick-reaction alert and strike training. If the Yak-130M’s BRLS-130R and SOLT-130K deliver the advertised situational awareness and precision-strike performance, Russia’s upgraded type would occupy the same category: an aircraft that trains frontline pilots while undertaking light-attack, CAS, and point-defense tasks with a lower operating cost than traditional fighters.
Strategically, the Yak-130M is designed to serve two audiences. Domestically, it shores up Russia’s pilot pipeline by offering a modernized LIFT cockpit and mission systems that better replicate frontline avionics while also providing a readily deployable light-attack asset for secondary theaters or base defense. Internationally, Russian industry has signaled plans to market the Yak-130M across the Asia–Pacific and African markets where budgets are constrained but demand persists for multirole aircraft able to train, police airspace, and prosecute precision strikes. In this sense, the Yak-130M functions as both an industrial continuity program and a bid to retain share in a segment contested by the M-346FA and FA-50 families.
The emergence of the Yak-130M prototype therefore marks a notable pivot: a trainer conceived to emulate fourth- and fifth-generation fighters now configured to shoulder discrete combat tasks while preserving its core instructional role. If testing validates the new radar-EO-defensive suite and if production scales on schedule, the aircraft could give Russia and prospective customers a pragmatic tool for sustaining pilot proficiency and generating affordable combat capacity under tighter budgets. The testing campaign announced this week will determine whether that promise translates from specification sheets to squadron utility.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
