Belarusian Ministry of Defense reported that a solemn ceremony dedicated to delivery of new Yak-130 operational trainers to 116^th Guards Assault Air Base was held on April 27^th 2015 at Lida airfield, press-service of Irkut Corporation reports.

Representatives of Belarusian government, diplomatic corps, commanders of the armed forces, air forces and air defense forces as well as delegation of Irkut Corporation took part in the ceremony. According to the statement, the 116^th Guards Assault Air Base is being rearmed in the network of the State Arms Program; it is the example of fruitful cooperation between Belarus and Russian Federation.

“Yak-130 aircraft were delivered from Irkutsk by Il-76 military-transport aircraft. The Yak-130 jets were assembled by specialists of Irkut Corporation at the maintenance workshop of the 116^th Guards Assault Air Base. Under the contract between Russia and Belarus a total of four Yak-130 operational trainers were delivered to the air base; the jets will form a new squadron. Theoretical training of pilots and maintenance personnel of the air base was being carried out at Zhukovsky training center (Moscow Region). Belarusian Ministry of Defense noted that deliveries of these new jets will expand the capabilities of the national air forces in terms of pilot training,” said in the statement.

Russian Federation is the major partner of Belarus in terms of deliveries of weapons, military equipment and spare parts, provision of MRO services and upgrading the delivered products. Defense products are delivered to Belarusian armed forces on favorable terms. Cooperation is being carried out on mutually beneficial basis and includes joint activities aimed at development of cooperation between military-industrial sectors of the countries in the area of development and production of competitive military and double-purpose products and their deliveries. Yak-130 is the second product (after Tor-M2 air defense system) delivered to the air forces and air defense forces, said in the statement of the press-service of Belarus.

During the solemn ceremony held at Lida airfield Belarusian Minister of Defense Major General Andrei Ravkov presented an anniversary medal “70^th anniversary of liberation of Belarus from Nazi occupation” to the President of Irkut Corporation Oleg Demchenko.