The first batch of Yak-130 operational trainers was ferried to Armavir air base located in the southern part of Russia, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the representative of the press-service of Russian Ministry of Defense on Air Forces, Colonel Igor Klimov.

It was reported earlier that this year Armavir air base would take delivery of more than 20 Yak-130 jets. Today the air base operates 8 jets of the type.

“Acceptance of the five state-of-the-art aircraft was carried out at Irkutsk Aviation Plant and then the jets were ferried to their home base located near Armavir,” Klimov said.

For pilots it was the longest ferry flight ever: they covered a distance of over 5,5 thousand kilometers and made three intermediate stops in Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk and Borisoglebsk in order to refuel the aircraft.

Yak-130 is the two-seat next-generation operational trainer designed for pilot training and combat missions performed under normal and severe weather conditions. The jet is capable of destroying ground and air targets. 

This aircraft demonstrates the parameters close to advanced fighters at subsonic speeds in terms of aircraft performance and maneuverability. That is why it is used for training of future pilots of “4+”-generation and fifth-generation fighters. Moreover, it may be operated from unpaved runways.