MiG to Develop New Affordable Jet Trainer for Russian Air Force

Russia's Mikoyan (MiG) design bureau has initiated the development of a new cost-effective jet trainer aircraft, the MiG-UTS, designed to be utilized by the country's aviation forces. This announcement was made public by Rostec, the Russian state industrial conglomerate, on December 28.

The MiG-UTS, envisioned as a twin-seat, single-engine aircraft, is set to become a fundamental component of a broader training system under development. The objective is to address concerns about the aging Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros aircraft, which currently serves as the primary platform for pilot training.

Sergey Korotkov, the general designer and deputy general director of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), highlighted the necessity for a new training platform that ensures effective instruction for flight and technical personnel. Presently, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) employ 135 L-39 aircraft for jet training, alongside the more sophisticated and pricier Yakovlev Yak-130 'Mitten.'

The MiG-UTS aims to be the most affordable single-engine aircraft, emphasizing simplicity in both piloting and maintenance, meeting the requirements for basic training, as stated by Andrey Nedosekin, deputy managing director of the Design Bureau of Operational and Tactical Aviation and director and chief designer of the Mikoyan design bureau.

This initiative intends to address the need for training new batches of pilots for the Russian Aerospace Forces. While specific details regarding the MiG-UTS remain undisclosed, the aircraft is being developed by the Mikoyan Aircraft Design Bureau to fulfill the basic pilot training requirements. The Russian Aerospace Forces have been reliant on older L-39 training aircraft until now, including more recent use for advanced flight training with the Yak-130.

Interestingly, these developments are somewhat paradoxical as the development of the Yak-130 was initially intended to replace the older Soviet-era trainers. The MiG-UTS design shows a resemblance to the MiG-AT, which was a competitor against the Yakovlev aircraft in the 1990s for the Russian Air Force's future training aircraft.

Sergei Korotkov's statements suggest concerns about maintaining the aircraft currently used for primary pilot training. Although not explicitly stated, his reference likely points to the Yak-130, implying challenges detected in its usage for basic pilot training. Given that the Yak-130 serves multiple functions beyond training and is powered by two engines, its maintenance costs and time are significantly higher, prompting the need for an alternative training solution like the MiG-UTS.