10 Jan 2019 10:02

Russia delivers several Yak-130 planes to Laos - Russian source

MOSCOW. Jan 10 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has delivered several Yakovlev Yak-130 training aircraft to Laos, an informed Russian source told Interfax on Thursday.

"Laos has already received several Yak-130s," he said.

Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation has declined to comment on this report.

The Yak-130 is used in training programs for fighter pilots and can also be used in operations against air and ground targets. It is able to replicate the characteristics of 4+ generation and 5th-generation combat airplanes. The plane performed its maiden flight in 1996. In 2002, it was chosen as the main training aircraft for the Russian Air Force.