Laos Air Force interested in acquiring Yak-130 Russian-made aircraft. Double function jet training and combat vehicles will be used for pilot training and combat missions. The correspondent “Lenta” at the Singapore Airshow 2016 Airshow said a source in the defense industry.

“Laos interested in this machine, it makes it relatively inexpensive to close a failure, formed after the failure of their MiG-21 aircraft, derived from the Soviet Union in 1970”, – said the interlocutor “Lenta”.

The source said that Laos could receive 16-20 aircraft, the contract will include supply of additional equipment, weapons and spare parts, as well as the organization of training of pilots and technicians.

Currently, the Air Force of Laos are registered about 25 MiG-21 fighters, but the vast majority of them are airworthy.

The Yakovlev Yak-130 (NATO reporting name: Mitten) is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft or lead-in fighter trainer originally developed by Yakovlev and Aermacchi. Development of the plane began in 1991 and the maiden flight was conducted on 25 April 1996. In 2002, it won a Russian government tender for training aircraft and in 2009 the aircraft entered service with the Russian Air Force. As an advanced training aircraft, the Yak-130 is able to replicate the characteristics of several 4+ generation fighters as well as the fifth-generation Sukhoi PAK FA. It can also perform light-attack and reconnaissance duties, carrying a combat load of 3,000 kg.

defense-studies.blogspot.com