Bangladesh's Yak‑130 dilemma: A Fleet in decline amidst safety concerns
Bangladesh has significant problems with Russian Yak-130 jets. Within just under 10 years of operation, the country has lost a quarter of its entire fleet of these aircraft. We explain this design and what could cause such problems for the Bangladesh Air Force.
The Yak-130 is a Russian jet trainer aircraft. The Irkut Corporation Falcon Aircraft Plant produces it. It was first flown in 1996 but only presented to the public in 2005, so it cannot be considered an outdated unit.
Bangladesh lost another Yak-130 jet. What is it?
The Yak-130 has a length of just under 12 metres and a wingspan of about 9.7 metres. Its takeoff weight is around 7 tonnes, and two AI-222-25 turbojet engines allow the pilot to reach speeds of just over 1,000 kilometres per hour and a ceiling of up to 13,000 metres.
On May 8, 2024, at around GMT, a video of a Yak-130 belonging to Bangladesh crashing appeared on social media. A fire on board was blamed for the accident, but precise findings will be known only after examining the wreckage.
The Ukrainian service Defence Express, specializing in military matters, nevertheless points out that this is not the first accident involving this aircraft. Several have taken place in Russia and once in Belarus (in 2021), but the fate of this unit in Bangladesh looks incredibly unlucky.
In 2014, information surfaced about a deal worth around 800 million dollars between Moscow and Dhaka, which covered 16 Yak-130 jets. It envisaged the possibility of increasing the order by another 10 units, which ultimately did not come to fruition, partly because of delayed deliveries of the base pool.
Issues with Bangladesh's aviation
The Yak-130 crash on May 8, 2024, marks the third such incident in Bangladesh. Adding up all the losses, the local air Force has already lost four of these machines (in one incident in 2017, as many as two were destroyed). That's one-quarter of all such aircraft Bangladesh has received.
Defence Express noted that even at first glance, the deficient quality of these Russian aircraft is evident. As such, many accidents cannot be solely attributed to random events or lack of pilot skills. Bangladesh not only had to wait for the delayed deliveries patiently but now also has to consider further purchases to replenish the losses. It's doubtful they will turn to Russia, with whom relations are cooling. This resulted, among other things, in the termination of negotiations for acquiring Mi-28NE helicopters.
