On 1 September 2011, Algerian Air Force pilots performed their first solo flights on Yak-130 combat trainers at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, an affiliate of the Irkut corporation. Their flights had been preceded by a three-month-long ground school, during which the Algerian pilots logged a total of 100-plus sorties on Yak-130s together with Irkut’s test pilots in the role of their instructor pilots and were cleared for solo flights. Prior to that, a large group of Algerian military engineers and technicians had been trained in operating and maintaining the Yak-130.

Delivery of the Yak-130 combat trainer to Algeria is slated for this autumn. As is known, the 2006 contract stipulates that Irkut shall deliver 16 aircraft of the type to Algeria. The first production Yak-130 under this order had made its maiden flight in Irkutsk on 21 August 2009 and 12 new jet trainers for Algerian Air Force were assembled at Irkutsk Aircraft Plant by 2011. The final several planes were in the final stages of assembly this summer. A minor slip behind schedule was been due to the customer having added extra requirements several times. The implementation of the additional requirements called for more development work, tests and modifications pertaining to the planes made. In the end, the parties agreed on the final configuration of the Yak-130, and nothing prevents the manufacturer to ship the products now.

Rosoboronexport and Irkut are in pre-contract talks on Yak-130 deliveries to a number of other countries as well. The launch contract for 12 Yak-130s built by Sokol in Nizhny Novgorod for the Russian Air Force was fulfilled in June of this year. A governmental contract for more than 60 Yak-130s to be manufactured by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant is in the pipeline. In anticipation of more orders, construction of more Yak-130s by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant is in full swing. In July, the plant’s Director General Alexander Veprev said that assembly of the 35th Yak-130 had begun in Irkutsk by then.