Czech manufacturers Aero Vodochody and Omnipol have completed the delivery of six L-39 Skyfox training aircraft to the Vietnamese air force, Aero Vodochody said.
Vietnam – the first foreign customer for the aircraft – had already received the first batch of six aircraft last August. It now has a fleet of 12 advanced jet trainers that can also operate as light combat aircraft.
In order to modernize and strengthen its air force to deal with rising security challenges, especially tension in the South China Sea, Vietnam has been looking to buy planes and equipment from countries other than traditional partner Russia.
Buying weapons from Russia could also isolate Vietnam from its Western allies as Russia’s arms manufacturers face sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.
Vietnam ordered the 12 trainers from Aero Vodochody in 2021. Omnipol, a strategic partner in the project, became a minority owner of Aero the same year.
Also in 2021, Vietnam signed a contract to buy 12 new U.S.-made T-6C Texan II aircraft, five of which were delivered last November. The Beechcraft trainers were the first military aircraft sold directly by the U.S. to Vietnam.
Two years earlier, Vietnam bought 12 Yak-130 jet trainers from Russia.
Aero Vodochody said that the Vietnamese air force received a theoretical and practical training kit with the completed aircraft, including a simulation training system for pilots and mechanics.
An on-the-aircraft training course will be held this year in the Czech Republic for Vietnamese pilots.
Adaptable, versatile aircraft
L-39 Skyfox is a turbofan-powered military trainer. Originally called L-39NG, the Czech manufacturers renamed the aircraft Skyfox last October saying the name fox “is perfectly suited to the aircraft due to its nature and behavior.”
“It may not be the strongest animal in the forest, but it is extremely adaptable, persistent, resourceful, takes care of its young like an airplane takes care of its pilots, and when it comes down to it, it can bite hard,” Aero said.
The aircraft, originally designed to support the training of pilots for Russian-made front-line combat aircraft, can also be used for training pilots of 4th and 5th generation aircraft such as the U.S.’s F-16 and F-35, it said.
The manufacturer said the L-39 Skyfox is also suitable for light combat as it can be equipped with rockets, missiles, bombs and guns with a total payload capacity of up to 1,640 kilograms (1.8 tons).
With a little adaptation such as by mounting sensors, it can be deployed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, border and maritime patrolling.
This week, Israeli media reported that Vietnam intended to buy two surveillance satellites worth US$680 million from Israel to “address China’s provocations against its neighbors in the South China Sea.”
The L-39 Skyfox reportedly cost less than US$10 million per plane to procure, according to Janes, the military intelligence company.
Edited by Mike Firn.
This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Staff.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.