Irkut Corporation has started the export deliveries of Yak-130 operational trainers. The first batch formed by three vehicles has been delivered to Algeria on November 29th using An-124 aircraft, the company reports. AEX.ru

It is planned to deliver all the jets, ordered by Algerian air forces, by the end of this year. The contract on delivery of Yak-130s has been signed by Algerian air forces and Rosoboronexport in 2006, the company noted.

In accordance with the contract a large group of pilots and technicians have passed theoretical and practical training at Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAP), the branch of Irkut Corporation, where this jet is assembled.

President of Irkut Corporation, Alexey Fedorov, said: «Algeria has become the launch foreign customer of Yak-130 jets. The first vehicles of the type are already being operated by Russian air forces. There is a great interest in this jet and I think it has a good future».

Yak-130 trainer, designed by Yakovlev design bureau, has been chosen as the basic trainer of Russian air forces for basic and advanced training of pilots. Yak-130 enables training of pilots at the most advanced level for Russian and foreign 4+ and 5-generation combat aircraft. The aircraft is a part of training facility including integrated system of objective control, training computer classrooms, flight and special simulators.

The state testing of Yak-130 with armament has been completed in December 2009. The deliveries of jets to the Russian air forces have been started in February 2010. The intense operation of the jets has been started in April 2011 in one of the training centers.

Commander in Chief of the Russian air forces, General-Colonel Alexander Zelin, has stated during his visit to IAP on November 8th 2011 that Russian Ministry of Defense and Irkut Corporation will sign the contract on delivery of 65 Yak-130s in the nearest future.

Negotiations on deliveries of the jets to several countries are in progress. The market capacity for Yak-130 aircraft is assessed at 250 jets until 2015.

The batch production of Yak-130 aircraft is carried out by Irkutsk aviation plant using the state-of-the-art digital technologies.