Czech Republic’s AERO Vodochody has finalized the construction of the first serial production L-39NG advanced trainer for the Vietnam Air Force. This aircraft is included in the batch of twelve trainers that OMNIPOL committed to delivering to the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense (MOD) in a contract signed in February 2021. OMNIPOL is a company specializing in the international trade of Czech defense products.
Besides aircraft, the contract involves training of pilots, instructors, ground personnel, and mechanics. In addition, AERO Vodochody will also provide spare parts for the aircraft, equipment for ground training, and logistical support or specialized airport systems. The collaboration is expected to deliver the customer full pilot and ground crew training capability.
In April 2023, it was reported that Prague and Hanoi started working together to hold high-level dialogues on major military acquisitions including aircraft, radar, armored vehicle upgrades firearms, and additional L-39NG trainers.
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 many countries in the Soviet Union. Many of these old units are still in service, and many private aggressor businesses utilize the aircraft extensively to train a huge number of professional pilots globally. Meanwhile, the newer version features several state-of-the-art technologies, suitable for training pilots of fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft.
(Source: Aviacionline)
