Russia’s third Yak-130M prototype aircraft successfully completes test flight

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. The first test flight of the third Yakovlev Yak-130M prototype aircraft was carried out successfully, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of the state tech corporation Rostec) reported on Telegram.

"The first flight of the third Yak-130M prototype took place at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a subsidiary of PJSC Yakovlev (part of UAC). The aircraft was piloted by a crew consisting of Yakovlev test pilots Hero of Russia Oleg Mutovin, and Alexander Guskov. All systems functioned normally, and the flight mission was fully completed," the statement says.

The Yak-130 program’s First Deputy Chief Designer Vladimir Dokuchayev noted that the flight of the third aircraft was significant because, unlike the first and second aircraft, it has the technical specifications of a production model.

"This flight allows us to include the third aircraft in trial testing, which will enable us to complete the test program on schedule," he emphasized. Dokuchayev noted that the first deliveries of the Yak-130M are scheduled for 2028.

The Yak-130M is an extensively modernized Russian two-seat combat training aircraft, developed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau based on the Yak-130 model. The Yak-130M performed its maiden flight on June 25, 2026. A key feature of the new version is its transformation into a full-fledged combat aircraft. As part of the extensive modernization, more than 50% of the aircraft’s equipment was upgraded. In particular, it was equipped with advanced onboard targeting systems and a modern radar station.

As a result, the Yak-130M gained the capability to use a wide range of weapons, including missiles and bombs, to engage both air and ground targets.