IRKUT Corporation is completing flight tests of the first production Yak-130 training and light combat aircraft. In November 2004, a second production aircraft will take-off, and next year, a third flying sample of the aircraft will join the trials. Besides, two more aircraft are used in the static ground tests. The whole cycle of the static and flight trials will be accomplished by the end of 2005.

In the course of the tests, take-off and landing performance, stability and controllability, aircraft systems and power plant operation have already been checked. The auxiliary power unit and the main engines were successfully started in flight at 6,000m and 8,000m correspondingly. During the trials, the aircraft achieved speed of 750km/h, 5G overload and flight altitude of 10,000m.

The Yak-130 is equipped with a quadro-redundant fly-by-wire system enabling application of the aircraft for basic and advanced training of all current and prospective fighters. Due to availability of 9 external suspension points that provide fitting of up to 3 tons of combat load (including weapons, external fuel tanks, homing pods, reconnaissance equipment, EW systems) the Yak-130 can be used as a light combat aircraft.

In 2002, the Yak-130 won a tender of the Russian Defence Ministry to deliver a training and light combat aircraft for the Russian Air Force.

In terms of operational and technical performance as well as training efficiency, the Yak-130 considerably surpasses its competitors and has a good export prospective. The global fleet of training aircraft is expected to be replaced fully in the period to 2010 because of life time expiry and new requirements to pilots education level for the 4th and 5th generation aircraft. The Yak-130 aircraft is included in the «General list of military purpose products approved for export”.

IRKUT Corporation is a vertically integrated holding company providing development, manufacture, sales and after-sale support of civil and military purpose aviation products.