During the russian Army-2024 propaganda forum, the first presentation of the project of the Yakovlev Yak-130M combat aircraft, created on the basis of the Yak-130 subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft ((NATO reporting name: Mitten), took place. The basic feature of the Yak-130M is the integration of the BRLS-130R on-board radar station ath well as the SOLT-130K optical-electronic station (in a suspended container), which should give this aircraft the ability to hit ground targets. It is assumed that the Yak-130M aircraft will also be able to perform the training function of pilot training for the russian Aerospace Forces.
However, at this stage we are talking only about the Yak-130M prototype, the tests of which, according to preliminary plans, should only begin in the current year of 2024. Considering this, the prospects of this project look extremely vague.
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Against this background, it is interesting that the Polish Defence24 media source decided to express its assumptions regarding the prospects for further implementation of the russian Yak-130M project. The Polish publication clarifies that as early as 2012, russia announced plans to completely abandon Su-25 attack aircraft, finding a suitable replacement for them.
In 2017, the then Minister of Defense of the russian federation, Sergey Shoigu, stated that the Su-25 could be replaced by the "appropriately modified" Yak-130, but at the same time he did not name either the quantitative or the time frame.
How successful the Yak-130M can be in the role of the Su-25 attack aircraft is a debatable question, especially if you compare the characteristics of these two aircraft. The Su-25 can carry up to 4.5 tons of combat load having the flight radius in 750 kilometers. At the same time, the Yak-130 jet trainer and light combat aircraft in the basic version can take up to 3 tons of combat load having only 550 kilometers flight radius.
Given this, it can be considered quite likely that russia will implement the Yak-130M project as a direct successor to the Su-25 attack aircraft, which, although it does not have such powerful armor protection, will instead have wider opportunities for the use of guided weapons.
We should not rule out the possibility that the russian federation will decide not to look for a "successor" for the Su-25, and will simply abandon attack aircraft as a class of aircraft, betting, for example, on attack UAVs as well as multi-purpose tactical aircraft.
As Defense Express reported, russia Started Supplying Yak-130 to iran.
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