SHAH ALAM: Third user of YAK-130 Mitten in Southeast Asia. Vietnam reportedly had placed an order for at least 12 YAK-130 Mitten trainers from Russia. If the deal is confirmed, Vietnam will become the third user of the YAK-130 in Southeast Asia after Myanmar and Laos. Russian media outlet Vedomosti says the contract is worth $350 million.
The translated report.
Russia and Vietnam have returned to cooperation in the supply of aviation equipment. As two managers of defense industry enterprises told Vedomosti, in 2019 a contract was signed for the purchase of at least 12 Yak-130 combat training aircraft worth more than $ 350 million. The squadron of Russian aircraft acquired by the Vietnam Air Force should replace the obsolete Czechoslovak L-39s. delivered to the country since the beginning of the 1980s, one of the interlocutors says, probably, the Yak-130 will be transferred to the 915th training aviation regiment, formed at one of the Vietnamese air bases in 2018. The regiment also includes a helicopter squadron of the Air Force Vietnam People’s Army, the armed helicopters of the Mi-8.
Rosoboronexport and the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FS MTC) refrained from commenting.
As you are aware RMAF is also seeking around 8 to 10 jet trainers or in RMAF parlance, the Fighter, Lead In Trainer (FLIT) as part of its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme. The YAK-130 are one of the aircraft which is being considered for the programme as the manufacturer had responded to the RFI issued by RMAF. The YAK-130 was among the aircraft took part in LIMA 2019 following the issuance of the RFI.
The LCA has also been in the news lately although the Defence White Paper approved by Parliament late last year failed to expressly said that funding will be provided for the programme in the next RMK as envisioned by the RMAF planners.
As mentioned in the Russian report, the YAK-130 meant for Vietnam are jet trainers though it must be said these aircraft could easily be used as combat aircraft.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (36)
Congratulations to vietnam on the order. Their fast jet training path is long overdue for upgrades.
Do we even have money? I mean, for the past 10 years, we've seen some delays on procurement.
No more Russian made planes please..
gripen should be our LCA candidate,not cheap yes,but it can covers the gapping hole of Mig29N and at the same time as typical LCA role in no.6 and no.9 sqdn.
Off topics
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/no-soviet-no-more-poland-committed-buying-western-armor-116706
Can we actually try to buy more surplus Twardy feom the Polish?
Mitten can not reach supersonic speed. TA/FA50 is better.
Need for the rookie to feel a supersonic speed before jump into real fighter
Reply
Not really both of our training jets, Hawks and MB339s are not supersonic.
Jun Tau,
Assuming there’s a requirement and money; the Poles will be more than happy to sell. There are still numbers of uncompleted hulls at the factory. Assuming we want them, assuming we have the cash and that there’s an actual requirementt.
Gripen is not a LIFT platform. The whole idea behind the LCA requirement is for a platform that can double as a lift and one with an air to air and air to ground capability.
Fauzi,
The danger is that we’ll end up buying something that doesn’t meet our requirements merely because the seller is willing to accept palm oil ...
If the issue of spares and support can be adequately guaranteed, if the Yak-130 from a technical viewpoint meets our requirements, if the engines and other components have a higher TBI/MTBF compared to ones on previous aircraft and if no extensive integration is not required; then it can be considered.
Jun Tau,
The Ukrainian bustle loader was already around as far back as 2001. It was offered together with a 120mm gun for the Middle East market. For some reason it was never offered to us. Way before the PT was considered; DEFTECH was the local agent for the T-84.
If it was up the Poles they would go for a all
Leopard fleet : more survivable, more growth potential and commonality with NATO partners. The problem is finances and the need to keep Bumar Laberdy in business. As the article states, a problem is that it’s the Russians who make high end ammo and ERA. Erawa is next to useless against current gen KE penetrators.
I thought the replacement for the hawks/MB339s will be the replacement for mig29 too?
Hence the need for a supersonic lca
Reply
Not really, the Mig29s were supposed to be replaced by the MRCA
Poland is going for K2 tank now by the looks of it. 800 of them too.
The elephant in the room is the meddlesome CAATSA. Is it really worth it to get sanctioned simply for couple of trainers? Even the old man, for all his jabs at the US, isn't that stupid to tempt such move
From DWP,
Pesawat Tempur Ringan (Light Combat Aircraft, LCA) untuk Bantuan Udara Rapat (Close Air Support, CAS), Serangan Udara Medan Tempur (Battlefield Air Interdiction, BAI) dan operasi pemintasan.
We cannot wait for 10 more years to have MRCA to take up the QRA tasks that was previously tasked to the retired MiG-29N. The LCA needs to be able to do peaceime supersonic interception as part of QRA alert, while doing so much more economically compared to MKM or Hornets. If we did learn something from the MH370, as a sovereign country we need to have peacetime 24h QRA capability.