August 26, 2004 at 3:59 am
Ok here are some other new trainers out there.
Yak-130
In my opinion far by the best AJTs out there, the Yak-130 and M-346 are similar.
Cost: 13-15mn
This is either T-50A or the T-50B LIFT/A-50.
-It has better performance than the Yak-130 or M-346 but it’s more expensive. It’s weapons selection currently sucks and we are yet to see if anything better is integrated because the T-50B LIFT/A-50 is going into service pretty soon. The T-50A is the unarmed variant.
Cost: 20-22mn
Mig-AT
-Though not as capable as the Yak-130 and lost out to it in the Russian competition. It will now rely on exports to stay alive.
Cost: 13-15mn
EM-10 Bielik
It is unarmed, cheap to buy and run.
Cost: Unknown
BAe Hawk Mk 127/128 LIFT
The most expensive in this list perhaps and inferior to most of them in most ways. It’s also the oldest
Cost: well above 20mn
T-45 Goshawk
I believe it is the derivative of the BAe Hawk. It is carrier capable and even more expensive.
Cost: Unknown
IA-63 Pampa
It’s cheap, pretty capable, American avionics, engines and etc though Argentinian airframe and such. There is also an attack variant though not sure if it is single or twin seat.
Cost: Unknown
L-159B
Definitely inferior to the Yak-130 or M-346 and probably cheaper too. The best part about it is that it already has a single seat attack variant, the L-159A, has a radar and etc but still not very good and not as capable as Yak-130 or M-346 and has no BVR.
Cost: Mentioned at around 8-9mn
AT-3 Tzu-Chung
A nice trainer from Taiwan, capable though has no export chances
Cost: Unknown
IN development still.
MAKO
It is sopposed to be more capable than any of these but it remains to be seen if it is going to be built at all. It will have BVR capability, and etc.
Cost: Unknown but surely way over 20mn
JL-9
It’s very cheap, can be lightly armed. It made it’s first flight not long ago. It is not exactly the highest tech, it’s powered by a turbojet and it does not even have FBW but I am sure it can still do the job.
Cost: Unknown but surely less than L-15.
L-15
This is the competitor to the JL-9. It is to be more advanced, expensive and such. It should be in best way comperable to the Yak-130 and T-50 in terms of performance and such though I do not think it will be better.
Cost: Unknown
I think if you want armed, the Yak-130(Eastern) or M-346(Western) are the best, and if you want an unarmed cheap solution, then for me the EM-10 all the way. Also recently the Yak-130 in tests showed that it was more survivable than the VVS SU-25s(not sure about Su-39s)