Aero Vodochody AEROSPACE finalized the construction of the first serial production L-39NG advanced trainer, which will soon leave to join the Vietnam Air Force.
In February 2021, OMNIPOL (a company specializing in the international trade of Czech defense products) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense signed a contract for the supply of twelve L-39NG advanced trainer aircraft, of which the first is ready for delivery.
🛩️The first L-39NG aircraft in series production will soon be heading to its new owner. The most recently developed subsonic jet aircraft has been created on the modernized line at Aero. 👏 pic.twitter.com/qkXJTo9MkW
— AERO Vodochody (@AERO_Vodochody) August 7, 2023
The contract includes, in addition to the aircraft, the training of pilots, instructors, ground personnel and mechanics. It will also include the supply of spare parts for the aircraft, and equipment for ground training, logistical support or specialized airport systems. This will give the customer full pilot and ground crew training capability.
Also, in April this year, a Czech government source told Reuters that Hanoi and Prague had been holding high-level talks on major military acquisitions including aircraft, radar, armored vehicle upgrades and firearms. Among the items of interest to the Vietnamese Defense Ministry is the purchase of more L-39NG trainers.
A totally renewed classic
The Aero L-39NG is a modern successor to the L-39C Albatros, which was developed during the 1960s to replace the L-29 Dolphin and was widely exported to the Air Forces of the Soviet orbit nations. Many of these units are still in service and it is also widely used by private aggressor companies to train a multitude of professional pilots around the world.
The Czech L-39NG trainer aircraft uses the latest production technologies and modern equipment, while retaining the excellent cockpit vision and high level of protection in case of emergency landing or accident and low logistical cost, due to inheriting the traditional robustness of the L-39 Albatros design. The aircraft’s avionics are well suited for training pilots of fourth and fifth generation aircraft. The aircraft features a wide range of modern simulation technologies, including full integration into a highly advanced tactical simulation center, increasing overall training effectiveness.
