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Yak-130M
Yak-130M prototype '002' with weapons on static display at the Dubai Airshow, November 2025. · Photo: Mztourist · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bombers & strike

Yak-130M

Mitten
Medium RU

Jet trainer converted into a light combat aircraft and drone hunter

Yakovlev two-seat subsonic jet trainer, the VKS's standard training jet since 2010 and exported to Algeria, Belarus, Myanmar and Bangladesh among others. The Yak-130M keeps the airframe and engines but adds a radar, a targeting pod and self-protection so that it can employ guided weapons as a light combat aircraft. Rostec also markets it as a drone hunter. The third prototype flew in October 2026; deliveries are planned from 2028. Not a front-line threat like the Su-25 or Su-34, but a cheap platform for training, export and hunting slow drones.

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Dimensionsfor imagery analysis

Length × span × height
11.49 × 9.84 × 4.76 m (baseline version)
Max take-off weight
≈ 10,300 kg (baseline version)
Source of dimensions
Wikipedia

General

Role
Advanced trainer; Yak-130M: light combat aircraft / drone interception
Crew
2 (tandem)
Engines
2 × AI-222-25 turbofan
Max speed
≈ 1,060 km/h (subsonic) — baseline version
Ceiling
≈ 41,000 ft (12.5 km) — baseline version

Yak-130M equipment (UAC/Rostec)

Radar
BRLS-130R (described in Russian sources as an AESA)
Targeting
SOLT-130K pod with camera, thermal imager and laser designator
Self-protection
President-S130 in a pod
Communications
KSS-130
Weapons
Guided and unguided weapons; per Rostec also air-to-air missiles and satellite- and laser-guided bombs; Rostec also lists the Yak-130 as an export carrier of the Dan-T (see that card)

Status

Development
Mock-up at Army-2024; 1st prototype flew 25 June 2026; 3rd prototype (no. 137) flew Oct 2026 from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant; deliveries planned from 2028
Export
Vietnam: contract for 18 aircraft according to the Irkutsk plant director (July 2026)
Source
United Aircraft Corporation via Defence Blog (11 Oct 2026), RU Mil Tracker e-20261012-06 — manufacturer's claims, not independently confirmed

Threat

Primary threat
Interception of slow drones; light ground attack with guided weapons
Countermeasure
As a subsonic, lightly protected jet vulnerable to fighters and SAMs; the self-protection pod reduces the MANPADS risk
Threat level
Medium — mainly relevant as cheap air defence against drones and as an export product

News archive 6

Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.

  1. Ukraine's Navy says it hit six Su-34M bombers at Borisoglebsk air base in Voronezh Oblast with Neptune missiles; Zelensky claims four destroyed

    On the night of 14-15 October 2026 the Ukrainian Navy struck the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, roughly 400 km from the front line, with its Neptune coastal missile system. According to the Navy, six Su-34M bombers were hit, aviation support equipment was destroyed, and secondary explosions and a fire were recorded; it said furt…

    LossPerformanceRU Mil Tracker · 8 sources

  2. Third Yak-130M prototype flies as Russia turns its jet trainer into a radar-equipped light combat aircraft

    The third prototype of the Yak-130M, an upgraded version of the Yak-130 jet trainer reworked to carry radar and guided weapons, has made its first flight from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, according to Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The aircraft, side number 137, was flown by Yakovlev test pilots Oleg Mutovin and Alexander Guskov; UAC said all sy…

    VariantPerformanceRU Mil Tracker · 1 source

  3. russia Purchased T-34-85 Tanks in Exchange for T-72s and Yak-130s From Laos, Whose Pilots Will Now Be Trained by China

    Defense Express recalls that Russia acquired T-34-85 tanks from Laos in exchange for T-72s and Yak-130s; the T-34s have appeared in Moscow military parades since 2019. Citing Janes, the outlet reports that on 29 September 2026 Laos and China announced a joint pilot training centre at Ban Keun Airport. Officially the two countries will run it together, but i…

    DeploymentRU Mil Tracker · 1 source

  4. Российский ОПК в Египте: барражирующие боеприпасы, истребители 5 поколения и ПВО нового поколения

    At the El Alamein International Airshow 2026 in Egypt, Russia's defense industry showcased a broad range of export-oriented weapon systems to potential buyers across North Africa and the Middle East, according to Topwar. Among the aircraft on display were the Su-57Ė — the export version of Russia's fifth-generation fighter — shown both statically and in fli…

    VariantPerformanceRU Mil Tracker · 1 source

  5. Russia unveils 'Dan-T' loitering munition as export counterpart to the 'Banderol' (S8000) missile-drone

    At the El Alamein International Airshow in Egypt (8-10 September 2026), Russia's state corporation Rostec publicly displayed for the first time a full-scale mockup of the "Dan-T" (Дань-Т) loitering munition. Rostec says the weapon draws on design work in both cruise missiles and unmanned aviation, has completed all development stages, and has been tested on…

    DeploymentPerformanceScaleRU Mil Tracker · 2 sources

  6. Russia markets 'combat-proven' weapons for export at Egypt's El Alamein Airshow, claims new Su-57E deals

    Ahead of the El Alamein International Airshow (EIA 2026, Egypt, 8–10 September), Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) mounted a sales push built around systems Moscow calls "combat-proven" in Ukraine. Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev said on 7 September that Russia has signed new export contracts for t…

    LossVariantPerformanceScaleCountermeasureRU Mil Tracker · 7 sources
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