Russian Air Force to set up Yak-130 jet display team by 2015

[Stratofreighter]

...how much longer those expensive but VERY impressive Mig-29 and Sukhoi jet teams ?

http://en.rian.ru/images/17090/23/170902310.jpg


http://en.ria.ru/russia/20120330/172483838.html

Russia to Set up New Aerobatics Team by 2015

16:15 30/03/2012

MOSCOW, March 30 (RIA Novosti)

Russia will create a new aerobatics team flying Yak-130 Mitten combat trainers by 2015, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, said on Friday.

"We expect a new Yak-130 aerobatics team to be created by 2015,” Zelin said.

Last December, the aircraft construction company Irkut and the Russian Defense Ministry signed a contract for the supply of 55 Yak-130 by 2015.

The Yak-130 Mitten jet trainer/light attack aircraft is a subsonic two-seat aircraft developed by the Yakovlev design bureau. The first Yak-130s entered service with the Russian Air Force in 2009.

The Yak-130, with a maximum combat load of 3 tons, is able to replicate the characteristics of the latest generation fighters.

Russia currently has two aerobatic teams - Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) with a fleet of four Sukhoi Su-27P and two Sukhoi Su-27UB Flanker fighter aircraft,
and Strizhi (Swifts), flying six MiG-29 Fulcrum fourth-generation fighter jets.

Zelin also said that the two Russian aerobatic demonstration teams have expressed interest in flying Su-35 Flanker-E supermaneuverable multirole fighters.