Russia is set to unveil its upgraded Yak-130M combat trainer at Dubai Airshow 2025, marking the aircraft’s first international appearance. With enhanced avionics, new weapons, and improved all weather capabilities, the Yak-130M highlights Moscow’s effort to boost defence exports in the Middle East.
Russia’s newly upgraded Yak-130M combat trainer is set to make its first international appearance at the Dubai Airshow 2025, scheduled from November 17 to 21 in the UAE. The announcement came directly from Rostec, the state-controlled corporation that oversees Russia’s aerospace giants, including the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).
Rostec Targets Middle East Defence Market
Rostec confirmed that the Yak-130M features an extensively modernized avionics suite, improved mission systems, and new precision-capable airborne weapons. The platform is now engineered to perform round-the-clock flight operations, carry out missions in harsh weather, and function more effectively as a dual-role trainer/light attack platform.
“The upgraded aircraft is designed for the training of pilots of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, and for strike missions as a light combat aircraft,” Rostec said in its official statement.
Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov described Dubai Airshow as a premier global showcase where the corporation intends to pitch its next-generation products to new operators in the Middle East, a region that remains a critical market for military aviation sales.
Russia’s latest effort to market the Yak-130M comes at a time when Moscow’s aerospace industry faces Western sanctions on sensors, avionics, and composite materials. These restrictions have forced Russian companies to accelerate domestic “import-substitution” programs across the defence sector.
Shared Italian Heritage: Yak-130 and M-346
The Yak-130 originated from the joint Yak/AEM-130 program of the 1990s and shares early developmental roots with the Italian Aermacchi M-346 Master. Although the two designs diverged in the early 2000s, the aircraft maintain certain aerodynamic similarities due to their common origin.
While the M-346 has seen wider adoption globally — including a 2025 US demonstration tour of the Beechcraft M-346N by Textron Aviation Defense for the US Navy’s next-generation training program — the Yak-130 has struggled to secure significant export traction.
Countries that currently operate the Yak-130 include Belarus, Algeria, Iran, Vietnam, and a few more limited customers. Russia hopes the upgraded Yak-130M will revive global interest in its trainer catalog.
Other Russian Platforms at Dubai Airshow 2025
Rostec also confirmed that several other Russian military aviation products will be featured at Dubai, including:
- Ansat-M light helicopter – equipped with domestically produced VK-650V engines and redesigned systems as part of Russia’s rapid import-substitution drive.
- Su-57E export variant of Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet – intended for foreign display and potential export interest.
With Russia aiming to regain competitiveness in the global aerospace market, the Dubai Airshow will serve as a pivotal stage for Moscow’s upgraded platforms, especially in a region with expanding defence budgets and rising demand for multirole, cost-efficient aircraft.
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