IRKUTSK, September 28. /TASS/. Russia’s Yak-130M aircraft will be able to replace its previous version that is in service with foreign customers, Alexander Guskov, a test pilot at PJSC Yakovlev, told journalists.

"The aircraft currently in service with our special customers are already nearing the end of their service life. As for this aircraft, they are interested in its air-to-ground capabilities, and its ability to defend itself as a fighter jet. So, it will indeed be capable of replacing these aircraft because its radar will detect ground targets, and it will carry weapons fully suited for its missions," said the test pilot.

Asian customers, he added, are interested in getting meteorological data, as they often have severe thunderstorms and lightning in their area that create a danger to aircraft. Guskov noted that as the Yak-130M can receive live weather data, it's more useful in these kinds of conditions.