The Yak-130M is still undergoing flight tests, but new applications are already being developed for it, including the launch of loitering munitions. At the same time, the Irkutsk Aviation Plant is preparing to transition from post-by-post to serial assembly, and the third prototype aircraft is planned to take to the air in the near future.
The issue of the aircraft carrying loitering munitions is currently being worked out. That is, to deliver it promptly to a necessary point. The munitions then proceed along their own trajectory, according to their own task. We see this direction as promising.
In parallel, the program is moving to the next production stage. Andrey Soynov, head of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, announced that the third prototype Yak-130M is planned to take to the air in the near future.
We plan to fly the third prototype Yak-130M in the near future, and accordingly, three prototypes are currently undergoing flight tests.
At the same time, according to Andrey Soynov, the enterprise is already preparing to increase the production rate. Currently, the final assembly of the Yak-130M is organized according to a post-by-post scheme, but the plant intends to switch it to a conveyor system.
In parallel, as we expect an increase in demand for this aircraft, we will now restructure production and also move the final assembly shop to a serial line. Similar to the MC-21 aircraft. That is, today our assembly is post-by-post.
The plant's expectations are partly related to exports: according to Soynov, the enterprise already has signed contracts with foreign customers, and after the Yak-130M was shown in Egypt, the plant is preparing technical and commercial proposals for potential buyers.
The first Yak-130M made its first flight on June 25, 2026. In April, plans were announced to build three initial prototype aircraft, and now the third aircraft is being prepared to join the flight program. Deliveries to customers, according to the head of IAZ, are expected to begin in 2028.