Perspective:
Zero to one hundred Yak 130 missions in Iran
The route of Iranian pilots from the university to the fighter cabin
Read the report of the Tasnim defence group here (
https://tn.ai/2951953 ).
News Translation:
Few days ago, the news of the presence and use of Yak 130 fighters in the Air Force fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran was first published unofficially in cyberspace and news media, and then with the official statement of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army this again, was confirmed
The published image of the Yak 130 fighter, which recently joined the Nahaja fleet and was officially announced by the army
:The army's statement, which was published along with three high-quality images, state
"A number of Yak 130 training aircraft entered the country and joined Shahid Babaei Air Base in Isfahan in order to improve the training and combat capabilities of the Air Force. The Yak 130 planes will be used to train pilots who are going to fly with the new generation fighters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, and it has the ability to simulate the training characteristics of various fighters, including the 4++ generation and the fifth generation
The addition of Yak 130 aircraft to the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran is in line with our country's arms contracts with the Russian Federation
The announcement of this news and the purchase of combat-training aircraft, which is very important in its own way and after more than
three decades of the last military orders in the aviation field, led to various analysis by experts and even those interested in the military world. Some considered it as a necessary advance for the delivery of Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E fighters, which we will probably soon see the entry of this fighter with interceptor and bomber duties into the Air Force fleet
Irrespective of how much this incident will result and whether the Sukhoi 35 will eventually serve Iran or not; It should be seen if all the importance of buying Yak 130 is summed up in this matter
The answer to this question is clearly negative, so in this article we intend to talk about the importance of the arrival of the Yak 130 and the needs it will meet, but first we will review the history of the design and construction of this training aircraft
Yakovlev Yak-130 fighter (in English Yakovlev Yak-130) with the name NATO Mitten (Mitten and meaning two-finger glove); It is made by the Yakovlev company of the Russian Federation, with the main task of training and secondary combat, which has an interesting history. The first reports of the decision to build a training aircraft that can perform limited combat missions, especially close air support (CAS), in a small structure go back to the last years of the Soviet Union government. At that time, it was planned to design an aircraft that would replace the Czechoslovak-made Aero L-29 Dolphin and Aero L-39 Albatros training planes in the service of the Soviet Air Force, and nearly 1000 of them would be produced
Therefore, the design bureaus of 5 Eastern aircraft manufacturing companies announce their readiness, and finally, four aircraft designs, including Sukhoi Su-54, Myasishev M-200, Mikoyan MiG-AT and Yak-UTS, are placed on the decision-making table of the Soviet military commanders. Among these, the designs of Mikoyan and Yakovlev were accepted and finally, only Yakovlev company remained in the tender, and the production of the prototype began in 1991 and was completed in 1993. But at the same time, the Soviet Union disintegrated and due to unfavorable conditions, Yak UTS was out of priority. With the passage of months and the establishment of relative peace in the newly born country, the Russian Federation, once again the need for a new training aircraft for the air force is at the top of the demands, with the difference that it is not possible to produce 1000 more aircraft
In the middle years of the nineties, the Yakovlev company was looking for a foreign partner (and financial sponsor) for the production of its training aircraft, and a little later, the Italian aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aeromachi (later Leonaro SpA) responded positively to this call. Therefore, a new project named Yak/AEM-130 was born, which made its first flight on April 25, 1996
Production prototype of Yak 130 fighter named Yak/AEM-130 by Yakovlev and Aeromachi
The process of joint cooperation between Russia and Italy in the construction of training-combat aircraft is moving forward, and it is known that the Republic of Italy has also used this aircraft in its air force to replace the MB-339, and the Russian air force has also requested the production of 200 aircraft. The presence of Italy in the project has led to the use of advanced and new western technologies including avionics, electronics, engines and new combat systems in the aircraft, while financing a part of the project in the dire post-Soviet conditions
But this cooperation did not last long and in the early years of the new century, the Italian side announced that due to the lack of sufficient support from the Russians in the financial field, they withdrew from the project and eventually Yakovlev and Aeromachi moved forward with their plans independently, which led to the birth of the Yakovlev Yak -130 in Russia and Aermacchi M-346 Master in Italy, allowing these companies to sell production aircraft to their allied countries
Therefore, Russia sells Yak 130 to Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (along with the purchase offer to India, Argentina, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Uruguay and the cancelled contracts of Syria and Libya) and Italy to Azerbaijan, Egypt, Greece, Nigeria, Poland, Singapore, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Israel (along with proposals for other NATO member countries)
Yak 130 in the service of Belarus
Yak-130 fighter of Vietnam Air Force during landing
The M-346 fighter in the service of the Israeli Air Force, which uses it for advanced training purposes
With the separation of the production path of these two planes, which are actually very similar in appearance, but are completely different in terms of engine, avionics and internal systems, the Yak 130 sees a new path in front of it and the final winner of the tender for the new training plane of the Russian Air Force in 2002 with the initial order of twelve cars. Finally, since 2010, this training fighter has joined the combat fleet of the Russian Air Force and there are various examples of it for different missions, such as a light combat fighter (to replace the Su-25), a light fighter-bomber, a reconnaissance fighter, electronic warfare and even a four-person version. It was introduced for VIP flight, but eventually the same original training-combat model known as Yak-130 will be used
If we want to mention the technical features of the Yak 130, the production of each of which costs 15 million dollars; It should be said that this two-seater plane has a length of 11.4 meters, a wingspan of 9.8 meters, and a height of 4.7 meters from the ground, with an empty weight of 10,000 pounds and a maximum take-off weight of 22,600 pounds
This training aircraft is powered by two AL-222-25 turbofan engines that can achieve 12,000 pounds of thrust, a flight ceiling of 41,000 feet, a maximum speed of 1,060 km/h (cruise speed 887 km/h) and a transfer range of 2,100 km (range reach 555 km combat with weapon arrangement). The engines of this aircraft give it the power to fly subsonic with high maneuverability, and such a Yak 130 can carry up to 6600 pounds of weapons including 30 mm anti-machine guns, S-8 and S-25 air-launched rockets in 9 seats under the fuselage, under the wing and under the wing. The Fab family of bombs includes 500-pound guided and free-fall models, the R-73 Archer thermally guided air-to-air missile, electronic warfare and reconnaissance pods, the Kh-29 air-to-surface missile, anti-ship radar capability, as well as external fuel tanks for augmentation. carry a flight deck
The Yak 130, which carries weapons such as the R-73 Archer thermally guided air-to-air missile, rocket launcher pods, and external fuel tanks
Yak 130 can be equipped with the BARS-130 array radar, which has the ability to detect all types of air and surface targets, and will give this training fighter multi-purpose power [limited combat] if the buyer's need is announced and according to the new changes made by the aircraft manufacturer. Also, the design of the body of this plane and the alloys used are such that it can withstand the acceleration of gravity in the range of +8 to -3, and it uses powerful air brakes and landing gear
The close support and anti-armor version of the Yak called the Yak-131, which was introduced to replace the Su-25 fighters
The cabin of Yak 130 has fully digital precision instruments (MFD) and its canopy is designed in such a way that it brings the maximum internal and external visibility during the training flight for the teacher and student. In addition, the use of fly-by-wire technology provides a suitable familiarity for the new generation of students, and in addition to having a head-up display (HUD), it supports the targeting system on the pilot's helmet in combat missions. In addition, the navigation system of this fighter is based on GPS and GLONASS
Regarding other features of the Yak 130, it should be said that, like other training fighters in the world, it has the ability to simulate air-to-air and air-to-surface missions and has good electronic stability in environments affected by signal disturbances
Also, the external design of the engine inlet is such that it prevents foreign objects from entering it while crawling on the flight surfaces, and the safety of the pilots by using the Chaff / Flare launcher during flight and the K-36L seat jumpers even at high speed. and zero height is provided
The Yak 130 fighter has the ability to fly day and night to train students in various operational conditions, and according to the manufacturer, it can meet 80% of the needs for training new pilots for the fleet of new generation combat aircraft (4.5+ and 5) alone. Finally, the newest customer of this Russian aircraft is Iran, two of them are seen in Shahid Babaei Air Base of Isfahan in the pictures officially published by AJA, and they are considered as new members of the Air Force Flight School
But let's go back to the question we raised at the beginning of the article: Will the purchase of this training-combat aircraft be only due to the possible delivery of the Sukhoi 35 fighter-bombers in the future
Yak 130 fighter in Iran
Although the preparation of Iranian pilots for the possible entry of Sukhoi 35 fighters or any other new generation aircraft requires training with aviation at the same level to simulate the exact operational conditions such as working with digital indicators, fly-by-wire technology and of course the Eastern standard used. But that's not all
From a logical point of view, the arrival of Yak 130 aircraft alone will not change a certain equation in the Middle East region, unless we look at it from the perspective of a new gate in the path of Iran-Russia defence cooperation. Because this fighter is used with training priority and secondary combat mission. But on the other hand, it can complete the training circle of pilots, improve their flight hours, increase combat power in the field of close air support, learn new tactics in the initial stages of recruitment, and of course, high productivity based on a new and newly delivered platform. Therefore, in the initial view, Yak 130 will find its full meaning with the delivery of advanced fighters such as Sukhoi 35, but on the other hand, it is a turning point in the discussion of training, the reason for which we will examine below
The category of pilot training in Iran, both in the military and civilian fields, has a history almost equal to the delivery of the first airplanes and nearly a century, which has faced various ups and downs and sometimes relies on sending students abroad and completing the final stages. In our country, it is based on completely indigenous education
Before the revolution and in the field of air force, after completing combat courses and ground classes such as aviation science and English language, qualified people learned the basic principles of flying by using Beechcraft F-33 Bonanza piston-propeller planes at Qalemorghi airport. Then they were sent to the United States for additional courses. The students there first flew with T-6 Texan propeller plane, then with Cessna T-37 Tweet subsonic plane, and after successfully passing this stage, they got a pilot license with Northrop T-38 Talon supersonic fighter
Iranian pilots in America and the T-37 training plane Tweet
The Northrop T-38 Talon trainer fighter, which is still in service after many years and has seen many updates, will soon be retired with the arrival of a new training aircraft called the Boeing T-7 Red Hawk
After returning to Iran, these students were sent to hunting and transport battalions according to their need or ability, and under the supervision of Iranian professors (who were previously trained in America), they were able to fly McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, Northrop F-5 fighters. Tiger and Grumman F-14 Tomcats were trained and then split into combat battalions. The situation was similar for non-fighter aircraft such as transport, sea patrol, refuelling and helicopters (even in Air Force and Air Force)
But with the occurrence of the Islamic revolution and the termination of relations with America, the situation changed. The first step was to complete the training of some pilots who returned to the country in the middle of their courses due to lack of relationships. In the midst of the revolution, due to the non-completion of some of the new training phases of the pilots (especially the F-14), there were problems that were solved to some extent in the initial conditions of the war and with some creativity. After that, due to the prolongation of the war with Iraq, the air force needed to train new pilots, and for this purpose, a number of students were sent to Pakistan (before the revolution, they were sent to Pakistan in a limited way) and the same process was supposed to be carried out with India also happened, which did not happen
Precisely at these times and due to various problems during the war, especially the provision of foreign exchange for education and attention to the important category of self-sufficiency, Timsar Martyr Mansour Sattari (the then commander of the Air Force) decided to establish an air university to meet the educational needs of Nahaja in all fields, including offense and defence
For this purpose and according to the available facilities and of course the western standard governing the air force (which has been governing it due to the organizational structure of this force since its establishment and has undergone changes according to the defense doctrine of our country), a group of experts and professors to In the field of aviation, they conduct studies, review the structure of aviation schools in other countries (such as America, Greece, Great Britain, Pakistan, and Italy) and prioritize the needs of the present day according to the available facilities, and finally, in the last years of the 1960s, Nirivi University The Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran is established, which is now decorated with the name of Martyr Valamaqam Sattari
Over time, Shahid Sattari University improves its educational level according to modern science. But at the time of its establishment, the biggest challenge was to provide training planes for its flight school. Before the revolution, the basic flight courses of UPT fighter aircraft were conducted in the United States, and the students studied advanced training or CCTS in our country, for which McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom and Northrop F-5E/F Tiger fighters were used. In the same years, a number of Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter fighter planes remained in our country, which were supposed to be used for UPT training inside and the foundation of the flight school, but the revolution temporarily ended this path
Now the flight school has been established and as we said before, the ground courses are explained by following the example of other countries and prioritizing the domestic needs, but the main problem was the basic flight training or UPT, which had to be solved. Here, the planning proceeded in such a way that Bonanza piston airplanes were used to start the training as before the revolution, then the student with the Pilatus PC-7 Turbo trainer turboprop airplane that was purchased from Switzerland in the middle of the war (some also called S-68 Montage) entered and currently some of them named T-90 have been upgraded with fully digital precision instruments) practiced various skills such as performing various manoeuvres, tolerating high gravity acceleration, flying at night and simulating different conditions in flight and in case of obtaining sufficient preparation Northrop F-5A/B/RF-5A/F-5E fighters were sent to the 71st (newly established) basic training (UPT) battalion at Shiraz Air Base
Shiraz Air Base in the 70s. The first professors of the flight school who gained a lot of experience during the war and of course the first Simorgh aircraft delivered to Nahaja
With the end of the war and the arrival of eastern fighter planes, the need to train young pilots and the launch of a large number of western planes that were damaged during the eight years of conflict with Iraq, the flight school entered a new direction
Therefore, firstly, to increase the number of the training fleet, a domestic model of Bonanza named Prasto was built at the same time under the command of Timsar Sattari. Then, a project named Simorgh was launched in Iran Air Force and Iran Aircraft Company (HESA), based on which a number of remaining Northrop F-5A/RF-5A Freedom Fighter aircraft were modified with a fundamental change in the front part of the fighter and the construction of a new structure, from the single-cabin version. Combat/Reconnaissance were converted into two training cabins similar to the F-5B to perform the same task as the T-38 Talon in the United States in the training cycle. A little later, due to the purchase of Chengdu F-7N/FT-7N Airguard fighter-bombers from China, some of them joined the operational cycle of the flight school
The Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter, which has been active for many years in the field of training new students to the Air Force and has recorded brilliant services in this direction
The internal model of the Bonanza plane named Swallow
Currently, if we take a brief look at pilot training, those interested in this field with a maximum age of 20 are all; First, they have to get a certain score in the scientific entrance exam, and then they have to pass complex medical tests as well as ideological-protection selection. If accepted, they will undergo two years of combat training as well as the content of ground classes, and after obtaining the appropriate grades, they will be sent to Shahid Akbari base (Kushk Nusrat Qom) to start flight training with Bonanza
The Simorgh fighter, which is actually similar to the F-5B and the result of changing the single-cabin version of the Freedom Fighter to a two-cabin trainer, is still flying with more than 5 decades of life
After that, at the flight school located at the 8th Shekhari Shahid Babaei base in Isfahan, they passed ground classes called FTD and experienced flying with PC-7 training planes of the 84th battalion. From here on, the qualification of people to work in hunting or transport battalions will be determined according to their abilities. If the student is suitable for transportation, he will be sent to the 7th Shekhari Shahid Doran Base in Shiraz or the 1st Shkhari Shahid Base (Mehrabad) in Tehran and will enter the operational cycle with the C-130 Hercules aircraft (the young pilot, with the passage of time and the increase in his flight hours, can move if needed) Change your aircraft type to other existing aircraft such as Fokker 27, Ilyushin 76, P-3F Orion, Boeing 707, Boeing 747, Jet Falcon 20 and sometimes helicopter)
But if a person is suitable for a fighter pilot, still according to the needs, to one of the battalions including 43 (previously 85 Isfahan) Shahid Vahdati Dezful 4th Fighter Base with F-5A/B Freedom Fighters or 86 Shahid Babaei 8th Fighter Base of Isfahan consisting of F-5A/B fighters. 7N/FT-7N Airguard has been sent for the UPT course and in case of success and independent flight, this time they will gain experience in the training-advanced battalions of these aircrafts known as CCTS and finally join the F-5 or F-7 tactical battalions.
The two-cabin training-combat version of the F-7 fighter known as Airguard and named FT-7N landing at Mehrabad Air Base
Some others have joined the 31st training-combat CCTS battalion of the F-4E Phantom fighter at the third hunting base of Shahid Nojeh in Hamedan after completing the flight with PC7, and after a few years in the role of the rear cabin navigator, they are preparing for the front cabin pilot training. There is a similar case for the Dassault Mirage F1 fighters and the Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer strike bomber, but mostly these fighters get pilots from the F-5 and F-7, which was also the way to get the F-4 years ago. But for Grumman F-14 Tomcat and Mikoyan MiG-29 Falkrom interceptors, the pilot must have several years of flight experience with other fighters in order to be able to serve in this field (especially F-14, where the master pilot is in the rear cabin of physical control It is not on the plane and it is considered to be the student's first solo flight.
Also, the training of professors or test pilots of airplanes is also done in the flight school complex, and it is also possible to change the hunting type according to the needs of the place. During the years of service, each of the flight staff also learned lessons such as life in difficult conditions, rescue from mountains/forests/plains/sea, etc. in a camp known as crew rescue in the Kola forest of Mazandaran, and if they stay away from the flight (more than (from conventional standards) even the highest-ranking pilots are required to pass a ground class (FTD) and several flights to check their performance.
In the IRGC Aerospace Force, the process is such that after being accepted into the pilot program and taking ground classes at Imam Hossein (AS) University, he was sent to Badr Air Base in Isfahan, where he learned the basic principles of flying with the MFI-17 Moshaq propeller plane. Then, by using the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano turboprop plane, it achieves the ability to perform different maneuvers and simulate different flight conditions. After that, the student is sent to Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter transport or fighter battalions for additional courses
But the pilot training process in the Air Force Flight School, although it is very rigid and in sync with modern science, but it always follows a requirement that exactly here, the Yak 130 will show its true value. In other words, there has always been a missing link in the category of pilot training and since the localization of this action in Iran, and although with the great efforts of the professors and changes in the training process, the high ability of the students has not caused a problem, but in the basic decisions since the establishment Until today, the flight school has always been desired and needed by commanders
In the stages of pilot training in Nahaja, as mentioned earlier; Upon completion of the flight with the PC7 turboprop training aircraft, the student will be sent to the F-4, F-5 and F-7 supersonic fighter battalions. In this way, although the student can find the necessary adaptation, but from the beginning, it was intended that there should be a training aircraft with a jet engine, but subsonic. and finally, after gaining experience, enter the battalion of supersonic fighters
The PC-7 turboprop training aircraft, which was purchased from Switzerland in the middle of the war / this aircraft is very capable in performing flight manoeuvres and was once supposed to form the air force's flight demonstration team
The upgraded example of PC-7 known as T-90 / This update was carried out by Iran Aircraft Company (HESA) and by installing digital displays (MFD) in the cabin of some PC-7 / T-90 can be used for the basic training of new generation aircraft. Due to its upgraded cabin, it should be used
But since the mid-60s, there was a gap in this field. First, the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star subsonic planes were put into service after years of retirement (they were retired before the revolution) and were grounded after several accidents and inefficiencies. After that, a project called Ya Hossein, then Dorna, and finally Tazarv (the name of a type of hunting bird) was defined in Nahaja Industries, which met the need for a training subsonic fighter according to the request of the air force, but it was not continued for unknown reasons
Tezru training plane
In the 80s, a project called Shafaq and then Burhan was officially announced by the Iran Aviation Industry Organization (SAHA), but finally a training aircraft known as Yasin (Kowsar 88) was introduced, which completed its first flight several months ago, but still It is in the testing and construction stages
Prototype and the first plane of training fighter - Razmi Yasin
Hesa F-5 Kausar fighters developed by Iran Aircraft Company/ Kausar also uses a digital cockpit and is suitable for pilot training due to its dual-cockpit nature/ The same American model of this aircraft, the Northrop F-5F, is still in the CCTS Tiger battalion for The pilot-combat training course is used, and after the flights are over, the student is soloed with the F-5E single-cabin version and joins the F-5 tactical battalion or other fighters
With this account, the arrival of the Yak 130 training-combat fighters in the Air Force fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran has led to the rapid completion of the training cycle and providing the need for a safe subsonic jet plane as an intermediary between propeller and supersonic aircraft, as well as a prerequisite for training. Nahaja pilots are for new generation fighters who are going to join this force according to the official announcement of the army
On the other hand, the Yak 130 can be used for limited combat missions such as close air support (CAS). This platform, which has the ability to carry some Russian weapons, is probably suitable for installing domestic weapons such as bombs and air missiles to the surface
It should be mentioned that the possible entry of Sukhoi 35 into the Air Force fleet requires the training of pilots who are familiar with today's technologies of higher generations. Some of the aircrafts of the existing training fleet of the country, although they continue to operate safely under the most severe sanctions, with heavy repairs and commendable efforts of the Air Force staff, but they have experienced a long life and many flight hours, so they need to be replaced with new aircraft. Therefore, the Yak 130 fleet, under the correct and full support of the manufacturer country, can be considered as fresh blood in the veins of Nahaja, which will show its effects in the coming years. Also, familiarity with this aircraft is definitely effective in the construction of indigenous training aircraft in our country and the improvement of this route as much as possible
Su-27UB training fighter
At the end of this article, it is worth mentioning that the Sukhoi Su-35 multi-purpose fighter-bomber nicknamed Superflanker also needs a training aircraft. Because this fighter is a single-cabin combat type, and in the country of manufacture, Russia, using the two-seater examples of Flanker family fighters, the required training is done and after the pilot is ready, they are sent to the Sukhoi 35 battalions. It is hoped that if an order for this fighter is made by our country, attention will be paid to the purchase of a two-cabin version such as the Su-30MK2 or Su-27UB and a simulator, so that the training cycle of young pilots can be done locally (without the need to send them abroad). And it should be done by taking advantage of the first professors who were present in the producing country (Russia)
So you can imagine the dissapointment when the deal was cancelled under US blackmail (same as Indonesia), though i had a bad feeling that the americans and israelis will do something to not let Egypt have the Su-35.
