Myanmar, Latin America Interested in Russia’s Yak-130 Fighter Trainer

KUALA LUMPUR (Sputnik) – Myanmar, as well as a number of Latin American and North African states, are interested in purchasing Russia’s Yakovlev (Mitten) Yak-130 jet trainer, head of the International Cooperation Department of Russia’s state technology corporation Rostec, Viktor Kladov, said.

"The Yak-130 is being considered on various markets, a whole range of Latin American countries is eyeing it, it has already been supplied to Bangladesh, Myanmar has expressed great interest in it, as well as a number of countries in North Africa," Kladov told RIA Novosti.

He explained that one of the advantages of the two-seat advanced jet trainer is its ability to imitate the attack aircraft of any country and class, which makes it easier for pilots to prepare for flights on both Russian and foreign planes.

"Depending on the algorithm in the on-board computer it [Yak-130] can fly as an American F-18, as the Russian Su-30 and MiG-29, it can mimic the Eurofighter Typhoon," Kladov said.

The Yak-130 lead-in fighter trainer is the world's only training aircraft with the aerodynamic configuration and subsonic flight performance characteristics of modern jet fighters. The two-seat reconnaissance and light attack jet has a combat load of up to 3,000 kilograms (about 6,614 pounds).