The Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody Aerospace announced that, together with the Czech defense industry group OMNIPOL, it delivered the first six new L-39NG combat training aircraft out of 12 ordered under the 2021 contract to the Air Force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It is stated that the final stage of the aircraft transfer took place directly at the customer's facility. Vietnam thus became the first operator of L-39NG aircraft.
One of the first Aero L-39NG training aircraft built for the Vietnamese Air Force (Czech temporary tail number "1518", Vietnamese tail number "2302"), 2024 (c) Aero Vodochody Aerospace
Recall that in February 2021, the Czech OMNIPOL group announced the conclusion of a contract for the supply of 12 new L-39NG combat training aircraft manufactured by Aero Vodochody Aerospace to the Vietnamese Air Force. OMNIPOL, controlled by Czech businessman Richard Hava, has been a co-owner (49% of shares) of the Aero Vodochody Aerospace plant since 2020 through the Hungarian-registered company AERO Investment Partners Zrt., on shares with Hungarian businessman Andrasz Tombor (owns 51% of shares). In fact, OMNIPOL has been acting for almost the entire post-socialist period as the main intermediary trader for the sale of aircraft and spare parts and services for them produced by the Aero Vodochody plant, and since 2015 has been a leading investor in Aero Vodochody.
In particular, OMNIPOL financed the program for the creation of an upgraded L-39NG combat training aircraft by 50%, investing more than 1 billion kronor in it. Recall that Aero Vodochody announced a program to create a significantly upgraded version of its well-known L-39 aircraft, designated L-39NG (Next Generation), in July 2014 at the Farnborough Air Show. The L-39NG is equipped with an American Williams International FJ44-4M engine with a maximum thrust of 1,700 kg and with a digital control system (instead of the old Soviet AI-25TL), received a new lightweight wing made partly of composite materials, as well as a new digital avionics complex from Genesys Aerosystems, an indicator on the background of the windshield developed by the Czech company SPEEL Praha and modern on-board systems. The pilot's cabin is equipped with new "0-0" class ejection seats. The redesigned aircraft design should have a life of 15 thousand flight hours. The L-39NG will also be able to carry weapons on four underwing and one ventral suspension points.
The first prototype demonstrator L-39NG (tail number "2626", serial number 332626) made its first flight on September 14, 2015, representing a redesign of the factory-owned L-39C aircraft, equipped with a Williams International FJ44-4M engine, an onboard avionics complex from Genesys Aerosystems and an indicator on the background of the SPEEL Praha windshield. The old wing was retained, although instead of the traditional L-39 fuel tanks, new wingtips were installed at the end of the wing.On December 22, 2018, the first flight of the first prototype L-39NG of the new construction (tail number "0475", serial number 7001) took place. On December 9, 2019, the flight of the second prototype L-39NG of a new construction took place "in a pre-production configuration" (tail number "0476", serial number 7004). In addition, two samples were produced for ground testing (serial numbers 7002 and 7003").
It is assumed that both new-built L-39NG aircraft will be manufactured for customers, and L-39 aircraft will be upgraded to this version.
The first customer of the L-39NG was the Senegalese Air Force, which signed an agreement in April 2018 to purchase four newly built L-39NG, but then they canceled this contract. Agreements for the supply of L-39NG aircraft to private customers - the American company RSW Aviation, the French Breitling Jet Team and the Portuguese company SKYTECH - have not been implemented either. In December 2019, the Prague aircraft repair plant LOM Prague, owned by the Czech Ministry of Defense, concluded an agreement to purchase four newly built L-39NG aircraft (with an option for two more) for the Pardubice Aviation Training Center for the training of Czech Air Force flight personnel, however, the implementation was delayed for financial reasons and as a result, a firm contract under this agreement was concluded only in November 2022, and the first aircraft built on it was lifted into the air only in June 2024.
Under these conditions, the 2021 contract for 12 L-39NG aircraft for Vietnam became really valid and it was he who allowed the aircraft to be given a truly serial status. In April 2022, the Hungarian Air Force signed a contract for the purchase of 12 L-39NG aircraft.
One of the first Aero L-39NG training aircraft built for the Vietnamese Air Force (Czech temporary tail number "1518", Vietnamese tail number "2302"), 2024 (c) Aero Vodochody Aerospace
