Yak-130/AEM agreement signed for joint manufacture

Published: 5/26/1999

Russia and Italy signed in Rome on Thursday 20 May 1999 an intergovernmental agreement to begin the joint manufacture of a Yak-130/AEM trainer aircraft. First Deputy Minister of Trade of the Russian Federation Igor Mitrofanov and First Deputy Defence Minister of Italy Massimo Brutti signed the agreement. Also present at the ceremony of signing the agreement were the Yakovlev design office and Sokol and on the Italian side Aermacchi. The advanced jet trainer is intended primarily for the air forces of Russian and Italy. The cost of the aircraft is reported to be between $8-10 million U.S. dollars. In March this year a Yak-130 or AEM/Yak-130, as it is known outside of Russia, completed a programme of flight testing in Italy showing encouraging results. Russian requirements for the aircraft are reputed to exceed 200 aircraft, the first of which were originally intended to be in service in 2000 using local engines and avionics. The program has however, suffered considerable slippage in the last two years due to budget constraints and recent comments from the Russian Air Force do not seem to give encouraging signs of any imminent deliveries. (Concise Aerospace February 8th 1999). Aermacchi are reported as expecting potential sales for the aircraft of 300 aircraft outside of the demand from Italy and Russia over the next 8-10 years given the age of the world"s trainer fleets in this class. Italy specifically will require 100 Yak-130 trainer planes by 2007 according to reports. There are however, contradictory reports from other sources that neither government wishes to continue solely fund the project and would like a third party involved.

Article ID: 540