Vietnam Orders Russian Yak-130 Jet Trainers in $350M Deal

A Yak-130 jet trainer in service with Laos. Vietnam will be the sixth country to operate the aircraft, which has a secondary light combat role, after Algeria, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos and Belarus. (Twitter photo)

Vietnam has signed a $350 million deal last year to buy a dozen combat training aircraft from Russia, the Vedomosti business daily reported Wednesday.

Russia is the biggest arms supplier to Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Vietnam’s fleet deploys Russian-made fighter jets, surface ships and submarines, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

The 2019 deal covers at least 12 Yak-130 combat training jet purchases, Vedomosti cited two unnamed Russian defense industry executives as saying. The publication did not indicate when the jets would be delivered to Vietnam.

Intended for training pilots of advanced fighter aircraft, the Yak-130 can also be equipped with air-to-surface weapons including guided missiles and bombs.

Vietnam would be the sixth country to import the Yak-130, according to Vedomosti. Russia has previously sold the jets to Algeria, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos and Belarus. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Moscow Times website.

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