The Russian Yak-130 and the Italian Aermacchi M-346 are two combat-trainer aircraft that emerged from the same project.

Yak-130: An Attack Aircraft for the USSR at Rank VI

M-346FA: An Attack Aircraft for Italy at Rank VIII

At a glance:

• Subsonic
• Radar, HMD, countermeasures and air-to-air missiles (on M-346FA)
• Compact dimensions
• Impressive arsenal
• Excellent controllability and high thrust-to-weight ratio

Introducing the Yak-130 and M-346FA!

In the Heavy Cavalry major update, we’ll be introducing two combat-trainer aircraft, created through a collaboration between Russian and Italian aircraft manufacturers. Meet the Yak-130 and M-346FA!

Using the Yak-130 in Battle

At its core, the Yak-130 is a pure strike aircraft. Its pair of bypass, non-afterburning turbofan engines gives the aircraft a good thrust-to-weight ratio, allowing it to accelerate to speeds of approximately 1,050 km/h at sea level! This is excellent for a strike aircraft, allowing you to get in and out of combat in Ground Battles in particular to strike ground targets. On the topic of this mode, you’ll be able to use KAB-500Kr TV-guided bombs for taking them out. Make sure to lock onto the target, and the bomb will automatically engage it in a “fire and forget” mode. Aiming the Yak-130’s unguided weapons is also easy, since this aircraft is equipped with ballistic computers for its bombs and rockets.

Using the M-346FA in Battle

Compared to the Yak-130, the M-346FA features more advanced equipment and has an expanded ordnance loadout. This does also mean it gets a higher rank in the game. Powered by a pair of Honeywell F124 turbofan engines allow the M-346FA to reach transonic speeds of approximately 1,100 km/h. Despite being made by different countries, the M-346FA shares common features with the Yak-130, in particular its robust wing, rapid acceleration ability and is easy to control.

Feature Spotlight: Versatility

We’d like to take one of the M-346FA’s main features and give it the spotlight, since it does it better than the Yak-130. The M-346FA carries a versatile selection of ordnance on seven hardpoints, which is excellent for an aircraft of this class and size. The most advanced weaponry that this aircraft can use includes the GBU-49 and Paveway IV laser-guided and satellite-guided bombs, with a datalink, allowing you to adjust the missile on its way to the target.

It’s also equipped with a radar, countermeasures, and a Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) meaning the M-346FA is fully capable of engaging in air combat. You can supplement these hardpoints with AIM-9L Sidewinder all-aspect missiles for close-in combat, as well as Derby active radar-guided missiles. All in all, this means the M-346FA comes in with full-size strike capabilities but with a smaller and nimbler aircraft!

Vehicle History

Development of the Yak-130 trainer began in the early 1990s in response to the Russian Air Force’s requirement to replace the aging Czech L-39 Albatros. A demonstrator, designated the Yak-130D, was completed by the end of 1994 and first unveiled to the public in June 1995 at the Le Bourget Air Show. With government funding for defense R&D virtually nonexistent in the 1990s, a decision was made to collaborate with the Italian company Aermacchi to save the project. This partnership allowed the new aircraft to be developed with virtually no budgetary investment. However, by the end of the decade, the developer’s paths diverged: both parties obtained rights to the basic design documentation and began developing their own aircraft.

By the early 2000s, the Russian military’s requirements for the new aircraft had changed. It was to not only train pilots but also perform light combat missions. The Yak-130D’s inherent design potential allowed for rapid refinement. In 2002, the aircraft won the Russian Air Force’s selection process. Serial production began in 2009, and since 2010, the aircraft have been delivered to combat units. The Yak-130 is actively promoted for export and is in service with many countries, including Algeria, Belarus, Vietnam, Myanmar, Iran, and others, becoming one of the most successful Russian aviation projects of the post-Soviet period.

Aermacchi independently developed the M-346 into an aircraft design with NATO-standard avionics and systems to meet European demand for modern pilot training solutions after the Cold War. The M-346 first flew in 2004 and entered service in 2015, achieving export success in countries such as Israel, Singapore, Poland, and others. Beyond its training role, a light combat version, the M-346FA (Fighter Attack), was later developed, primarily for foreign operators with smaller air forces who required a multi-role platform with an optimal price-performance ratio.

We’re pretty sure that the small and dangerous Yak-130 and M-346FA will be a valuable addition to the attack aircraft lineup of both in-game nations and will prove themselves not only in air combat but also in combined battles! That’s all for now, we’re looking forward to the release of the Heavy Cavalry update! Until then, clear skies, and happy hunting, pilots. See you very soon!

Please note that vehicle specifications may be subject to revision and change before being added to the game.

You can greatly speed up the research of the Yak-130 and M-346FA with these packs: