Click to see full-size image. (Ethiopian National Defense Force)
Ethiopia revealed that it had acquired Yakovlev Yak-130 jet trainers from Russia, showcasing the aircraft on the sideline of its inaugural national aviation exhibition, Aviation Expo 2026, which opened its doors at the 1st Central Air Base on January 23.
Held to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF), the event adopted the theme “Building Together the Aviation Potential of the Future.”
The expo brought together Ethiopian Airlines, Ministry of Defense enterprises, 17 domestic companies, and international participants from the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Belarus, Czechia, China, India, Turkey, and South Africa.
A total of four Yak-130s, with the tail numbers “2301,” “2302,” 2303,” and “2306,” appeared during the expo. The tail number of the last suggests that the ETAF received at least six jets of this type.
Although the deal had not been officially announced earlier, unofficial reports suggest Ethiopia signed a deal on ten Yak-130s from Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a part of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), with the initial three delivered by late 2025.
The Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer capable of replicating the characteristics of several fourth and fifth-generation fighters. The jet can also perform light-attack and reconnaissance duties.
Click to see full-size image.
The decision to acquire the Yak-130 shows that Ethiopia is serious in its efforts to modernize the ETAF, which is enlarging its fleet of advanced fighter jets.
The air already operates some Su-27 fighter jets, in addition to two Su-30K fighter jets which were delivered by Russia sometime in 2024. These jets appeared during Aviation Expo 2026.
Click to see full-size image. (Ethiopian National Defense Force)
In addition, Ukrainian media reported last year, citing leaked documents allegedly from Rostec -a Russian state conglomerate that owns UAC-, that Ethiopia signed a contract for six Su-35 fighter jets. One of the photos taken at the 1st Central Air Base is purported to show one of the jets, although the deal has not yet been confirmed by either side.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Click to see full-size image.
An Orion-E reconnaissance and combat drone with the serial number “ОВ-1921” was also reportedly spotted at the 1st Central Air Base during Aviation Expo 2026. The drone is manufactured by Russia’s Kronshtadt Group.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Click to see full-size image.
Ethiopian efforts to strengthen the ETAF are a direct result of the current tensions with Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
The construction of the dam on the Blue Nile River, which began in 2011, sparked a crisis between Ethiopia and Egypt. Cairo views the dam a threat to its water security. However, Addis Ababa insists that the dam is necessary for its energy needs and claims that it won’t harm downstream nations.
Tensions grew in recent months, with reports suggesting that Ethiopia was facilitating UAE supplies to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which is currently engaged in a power struggle with the Sudanese Armed Forces backed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and others.
The UAE Air Force was the main guest at Aviation Expo 2026. It was clearly a message to Egypt. Among the aircraft the Emirates sent to Ethiopia to take part in the expo were their deeply modernized French-made Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter jets. This sparked rumors that Abu Dhabi could give at least some of these jets to the ETAF to challenge Egypt, which is actively working to drive it out not just from Sudan, but also from Libya and Somalia.
Ethiopia is clearly capitalizing on this intra-Arab crisis to secure some support, and the ETAF could benefit in a way or another. This could, however, bring the country closer to a conflict with Egypt.
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sorry, but given russians track record of their exported useless surface to air missile defenses and their obsolete fighter aircraft exports as shown in venezuela, it would be better if ethiopia think to use the grand ethiopian renaissance dam as leverage on egypt and buy chinese aircraft and air defenses instead.
الولايات المتحدة الأميركية: ترامب لـ”وول ستريت جورنال” رداً على سؤال عن احتمال مغاردة عملاء إدارة الهجرة: سنغادر في وقت ما لقد فعلنا ذلك وقد قاموا بعمل رائع
when the democrats put him in prison, they will do a great job.
russian tankers captured by british cunts and putin is doing what?
the coward will fall like yeltsin!
no matter how you censor…
capitalism in russia is coming to an end!
everything is on decline..
and we are closer to a 1917 moment than a 1945 moment, you fools!
celebrating soviet victory over nazism…when capitalist russia can´t take the miserably “ukraine”… how pathetic is this?
all the gerontocrats corrupts will fall when thing break down, and they will…
thanks to this bastards… the russian people will hang them and you propagandists!