In the 90s, left without Soviet orders, the management of Aero-Vodokhody decided to “seek happiness” in the West by taking part in the JPATS (Joint Primary Aircraft Training System) program, which envisaged the creation of a unified training aircraft of initial training for the Armed US forces. Many world companies involved in the creation of TCB have tested their strength in this competition. Intensive work on the aircraft, called the L-139 Super Albatros (or Albatros 2000), began in 1991. They decided to equip L-139 with a number of new systems of overseas production. First of all, it should be noted the sighting and navigation complex with ILS, close to that used on the F / A-18 fighter. The L-139 was equipped with the OBOGS (On Board Oxygen Generation System) oxygen system used on the aircraft of the US Navy. It was planned to install an on-board glider fatigue diagnostics system FMS (Fatique Monitoring System) by Esprit, which was supposed to bring the airframe resource up to 10,000 flight hours. The British company Martin Baker was also involved in the project, with the assistance of which the Czechs finalized their new VS-2 ejection seat.
L-139
The first copy took off in May 1993. After that, the aircraft was repeatedly demonstrated at arms exhibitions, where it invariably received favorable reviews. However, this did not help in finding potential buyers. Serial production of the L-139 was never launched.
By the end of the 80s, the aircraft, created by the standards of the mid-60s, no longer fully met modern requirements. In order to increase the combat and operational potential of the company "Aero-Vodokhody" in the early 80s began to create an improved version. The L-59 combat trainer (originally L-39MS) became a deep modernization of the L-39. Its prototype made its maiden flight on September 30, 1986. However, the collapse of the "Eastern Bloc" led to the fact that orders for it from the ATS Air Force did not follow. In the mid-90s, 48 L-59Es were purchased by Egypt, 12 L-59Ts were received by Tanzania. This, of course, was not the scale of deliveries that the Czech producers Elok had hoped for.
The competitiveness of combat training vehicles was reduced by the power plant, which was frankly weak for the 90s. In this regard, a turbojet engine ZMDV Progress DV-2 with a thrust of 2160 kgf was installed on the aircraft. In 1995, it was decided to purchase 70 Taiwanese-American AIDC F124-GA-100 engines with a thrust of 2860 kgf. The amount of the contract is $ 100 million. The F124-GA-100 turbojet engine is a non-afterburner modification of the TFE1042-70 engine installed on the Ching-Kuo fighters of the Chinese Air Force. This engine combined both acceptable performance and suitable dimensions. Its installation required minimal modifications to the aircraft design. However, despite the more powerful engine, which was offered for installation on the L-59, the aircraft was not widely used. The release of 80 UBS of this model can hardly be considered a major success of the Czech aircraft industry. For the Soviet Air Force "Elki" was built by a hundred a year, but work on the L-59 allowed the company "Aero-Vodokhody" to stay afloat.
However, the story of the Albatross on the L-59 was not over. On June 5, 1999, at the SIAD-1999 aviation show in Bratislava, the first public demonstration of the light single-seat attack aircraft L-159 ALCA (Advanced Light Combat Aircraft - single-seat light combat aircraft) took place. The purpose of this aircraft was to optimize the combat capabilities of the Albatross as a light attack aircraft and a subsonic fighter. With the end of the Cold War, in many countries, a radical reduction in military budgets began, in connection with which there was renewed interest in the category of light multipurpose combat aircraft. It was assumed that they would be quite effective and inexpensive, and this would give an opportunity for not very rich states to equip their air force with them.
L-159
The first production vehicle entered service with the Czech Air Force on October 20, 1999. The operation of the combatant vehicles did not reveal any surprises. For the pilots, the new aircraft was generally similar to the well-known L-39, and the use of computer diagnostics of onboard systems made life easier for technicians. L-159 has repeatedly taken part in various air shows and NATO exercises. During long flights, a congenital flaw in the aircraft manifested itself - the absence of a refueling system in the air, which is why the L-159 pilots were not planning missions lasting more than two hours.
The more powerful F124 Garret engine and the reduction of the crew to one person made it possible to significantly improve flight performance compared to the base L-39. Significant changes were made to the fuselage layout. Up to the forward pressure bulkhead of the cockpit, its design was significantly altered. The nose radome has become much longer and wider. Under it was a mobile elliptical antenna of the Grifo L radar with a size of 560x370 mm (originally this antenna was developed for the Grifo F radar under the Singapore Air Force F-5E fighter modernization program). The aircraft's maximum speed increased to 936 km / h. Seven suspension nodes can accommodate a combat load weighing 2340 kg. The weight reserves formed after the elimination of the second cabin were used to arm the cabin and made it possible to increase the fuel supply and, as a result, the combat radius. Thanks to the improved sighting and navigation system, it became possible to use guided bombs, AGM-65 Maverick missiles and AIM-9 Sidewinder air combat missiles.
Arsenal L-159
But the cost for a light attack aircraft, despite the increased combat characteristics, turned out to be excessive, due to the widespread use of expensive imported components, engine and electronics of Western production. In 2010, the manufacturer asked for $ 12 million for it. Taking into account the fact that in the early 2000s in the world on the secondary market there were a large number of inexpensive Elok, built in the mid-late 80s and in good condition, the potential poor buyers preferred them. The production of the single-seat L-159 ended in 2003 after 72 aircraft were built. For a small Czech Republic, such a number of light attack aircraft turned out to be excessive, and there were no buyers for them. An attempt to reanimate the two-seater "Elk" in a new incarnation was not very successful, the two-seater L-159T trainer also did not find a sale.
As a result, most of the built L-159s turned out to be unclaimed, and the aircraft went "for storage". Czechs have repeatedly and unsuccessfully demonstrated them to representatives of Latin American, African and Asian countries. Several aircraft were bought by American private aviation companies, which provide services for combat training and training activities of the US Air Force and Navy. In 2014, it was possible to conclude an agreement with Iraq for the supply of 12 L-159. The agreement also provides for the supply of 3 more L-159s, which will become a source of spare parts.
Several sources mentioned that the deal was initiated by the United States. In this way, the Americans helped their European allies to get rid of unnecessary aircraft and strengthened the capabilities of the Iraqi Air Force in the fight against IS. Under the terms of the contract, 4 combat aircraft must come from the presence of the Czech Air Force, and the rest will be taken from storage. The first two L-159s were delivered to Iraq on November 5, 2015. According to media reports, Iraqi L-159s were used to attack Islamist positions in the summer of 2016.
Despite the fact that Russia decided to create its own Yak-130 trainer, the operation of the L-39 continues to this day. According to Military Balance 2016, there are 154 L-39 trainers in the Russian power structures.
In 1987, on the basis of the Vyazemsk Aviation Training Center of DOSAAF, the aerobatic team "Rus" was created, the pilots of which still perform on the L-39. There are currently 6 aircraft in the group. At various times, L-39 aircraft flew as part of aerobatic teams: Belaya Rus (Republic of Belarus), Baltic Bees (Latvia), Black Diamond and Patriots Jet team (USA), Team Apache and Breitling (France), White albatrosses (Czech Republic), Ukrainian Cossacks (Ukraine).
Many L-39s of various modifications from the air forces of the countries of Eastern Europe and the former republics of the USSR ended up in the United States. Especially in the trade of used Soviet aircraft, the Ukrainian authorities have succeeded. The L-39 turned out to be a real "gold mine" for a number of private American companies specializing in the repair, restoration and sale of old aircraft.
Many wealthy amateur aviators are willing to pay a lot of money for the opportunity to fly on their own in a light jet plane. Pride Aircraft pioneered the restoration and subsequent sale of the L-39.
L-39, remanufactured and sold by Pride Aircraft (photo from the company's website)
The first such restored aircraft to receive an American airworthiness certificate was sold in 1996. Since then, there have been dozens of vehicles restored and sold by Pride Aircraft. During the repair, in addition to troubleshooting, replacement and restoration of components and assemblies, modern communication and navigation equipment is also installed. The cost of one restored L-39, depending on the year of manufacture, airframe resource and condition, is $ 200-400 thousand.
The cabin of the restored L-39 (photo from the Pride Aircraft website)
Several L-39s and L-159s are operated by Draken International, the largest private airline in the United States, which specializes in providing services to the military. All aircraft of the company, flying in the interests of the Pentagon, are in very good technical condition and regularly undergo scheduled and refurbishment repairs. The main base of the company's fleet is Lakeland Linderw Airfield, Florida.
L-39ZA owned by ATAS
Several Albatrosses are at the disposal of ATAS (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company), which also provides air defense crew training and air combat training for US Air Force and Navy pilots. Typically, L-39 exercises simulate enemy attack aircraft trying to break through to an object protected by interceptors or air defense systems. They also jam or tow targets. An important advantage of the Albatross is that the cost of their flight hour is several times less than that of combat aircraft performing similar tasks.
Albatrosses were very active in adventure films, where they often portrayed jet fighters and demonstrated dizzying aerobatics. "Elki" were noted in about a dozen films, the most famous are: "Lethal Weapon-4" with Mel Gibson, "Tomorrow Never Dies" with Pierce Brosnan, "Baron of arms" with Nicholas Cage. The popularity of the L-39 in the film industry is explained by the low cost of a flight hour, ease of control, good take-off and landing qualities, which allows flying from small lanes and a photogenic appearance.
The peak of the L-39's career in the post-Soviet space has long passed, and the point is not only that the plane no longer meets modern requirements. In the changed political and economic conditions, the main customer, which was the USSR, disappeared from the Czech company Aero-Vodokhody. However, it is too early to say that the Albatrosses will soon disappear completely from the airfields prematurely. Even in Russia, the replacement of Elok with modern Yak-130 is going slowly, and in a number of countries there is no alternative to them at all. The Albatrosses, built in the late 80s, still have a solid reserve of resources, the car has good potential for modernization. Ukraine has advanced the furthest in this respect. In 2010, the first two L-39M1s were handed over to the Ukrainian Air Force. During the modernization, the aircraft received the AI-25TLSh engine (thrust was increased from 1720 to 1850 kg and the acceleration time was halved (from 8-12 seconds to 5-6 seconds), the power plant control system and the on-board emergency operational flight information recorder with additional sensors and devices. In 2015, the L-39M was adopted in Ukraine. This machine differs from the basic version by the presence of the BTK-39 on-board training complex, which is designed to simulate the operation of the sighting complex of the MiG-29 fighter. It is a flying simulator for training a pilot for combat work on a MiG-29 fighter. However, the Ukrainian industry was not able to carry out a massive modernization of the existing trainers, and the troops have a few modernized copies.
In contrast to Ukraine, in Russia, the modernization of the L-39C was deemed unpromising. Although together with LII them. Gromov Russian Electronics CJSC, Gefest enterprise and Irkut corporation have proposed their own modernization program. But the matter was limited to carrying out refurbishment of the TCB part.
Talking about the L-39, it is impossible not to dwell on its combat use. Apparently, the first to take part in the battles were the Afghan Albatrosses. Beginning in August 1979, the TCB of the 393rd UAP of the Afghan Air Force, based in Mazar-i-Sharif, began to be regularly involved in bombing and assault strikes and conducting aerial reconnaissance. After the fall of the Najibuli government, the surviving L-39Cs became part of the Air Force of the Uzbek General Dostum. They were used in various inter-Afghan internal "showdowns", including in battles with the Taliban. Several planes flew to the Taliban and Uzbekistan.
By the time the United States began its "anti-terrorist operation" in Afghanistan, none of the Albatrosses were in flight condition. In 2007, information appeared that the United States was considering the option of purchasing new L-159Ts or restored L-39s for the Afghan Air Force. The aircraft were to be used for pilot training and as light attack aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft. However, in the future, the choice was made in favor of the Brazilian turboprop A-29 Super Tucano.
Iraq purchased 22 L-39C and 59 L-39ZO from Czechoslovakia. Albatrosses were actively used during the Iranian-Iraqi war. They not only conducted reconnaissance and stormed enemy positions with the help of the NAR, but also corrected artillery fire. Several L-39ZOs were equipped for the suspension of aircraft pouring instruments. At the end of the 80s, these aircraft, flying from the Kirkuk and Mosul airbases, were used to spray chemical warfare agents in the areas of compact residence of the Kurds, which, of course, is a war crime. During Desert Storm, the allies tried to inflict maximum damage on the Iraqi Air Force, but up to fifty Albatrosses were able to survive the war. Several vehicles that survived during the next Gulf War became trophies of the coalition forces.
Libyan L-39ZOs in the mid-80s participated in hostilities in Chad against the troops of Hissén Habré. They operated both from their own territory and from Chadian air bases, including from the Wadi Dum airfield. In March 1987, Habré's forces, which received modern Western weapons with the support of the forces of the French Foreign Legion, suddenly attacked the Wadi Dum airfield and captured 11 Albatrosses. Subsequently, the captured aircraft were sold to Egypt, where they served for 20 years. Another four L-39s were destroyed on the ground in the attack on the Libyan base of Maaten es Sarah. In the initial period of the civil war in Libya, L-39ZOs were repeatedly raised to storm the positions of the rebels and bombard the settlements they occupied.
But due to low motivation and low qualifications, the pilots loyal to Muammar Gaddafi were unable to influence the course of hostilities. Among the planes that flew to the rebel-occupied Benghazi airfield, there were two L-39ZOs. At the moment, the Air Force of "New Libya" formally includes 20 "Albatrosses", how many of them are actually capable of flying into the sky is unknown.
During the Cold War, in the early 1980s, the Soviet Union provided military assistance to the Sandinistas who came to power in Nicaragua. Among other equipment and weapons in Czechoslovakia, the L-39ZO was purchased with Soviet money. They were to be followed by the MiG-21bis, but the Reagan administration made it clear that direct American intervention would follow after the delivery of jet fighters to Nicaragua by the USSR. Either the leadership of the USSR decided not to aggravate the situation, or there were some other reasons, but in the end the Elki remained the fastest aircraft in the Nicaraguan Air Force. However, the Albatrosses were more suitable for bombing the camps of the pro-American Contras in the jungle than the supersonic MiG-21s. Nicaraguan L-39ZOs performed well in the fight against high-speed boats, which constantly raided the coastal facilities of Nicaragua, and attacks on fishing and merchant ships.
After the collapse of the USSR, conceived as a "training desk" for training pilots, the L-39С became one of the most belligerent aircraft in the post-Soviet space. The Azerbaijanis were the first to use them during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Earlier Azerbaijani Elki belonged to the Krasnodar School. After the Armenian air defense was seriously strengthened by anti-aircraft artillery, MANPADS and SAM systems participating in the Albatross air strikes began to suffer serious losses. As a rule, the Armenians mistook them for the Su-25 attack aircraft. They announced that at least five attack aircraft had been hit by ground fire, but the Azerbaijanis had only 2 or 3 Su-25s, and we can say with a high degree of certainty that among the destroyed aircraft were Albatrosses.
In October 1992, a pair of L-39s appeared in rebellious Abkhazia. According to the media, they were presented by the Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev. Later, several more planes arrived directly from Russia. As a combat load, the Elki carried two UB-16 units and operated from an improvised airfield equipped on the Sochi-Sukhumi highway section in the Gudauta region. They were piloted by Abkhazians - former pilots of the USSR Air Force. They struck at the positions of the Georgian troops holding the capital of Abkhazia, but often residential areas also suffered from the raids. During the Georgian-Abkhaz war, one Elka was lost. Ironically, it was destroyed by the Russian Buk air defense system, although Moscow actually supported Abkhazia in the war against Georgia. On January 16, 1993, the Abkhaz pilot Oleg Chanba went on another mission to the border zone, but no one notified the Russian military about the flight. As a result, when the radar operators of the anti-aircraft complex found an unknown and unresponsive aircraft, it was destroyed. The pilot died along with the car. At the end of the war, the Abkhaz "Albatrosses" were put into storage. However, in 2003, it was reported about the participation of L-39 in the operation of the Abkhaz troops against Georgian saboteurs in the Kodori Gorge. Who was sitting in the cockpits of the planes, one can only guess.
After the proclamation of independence of Chechnya, General Dudayev had more than a hundred L-39 Armavir military school at the Kalinovskaya and Khankala airfields. There were just over 40 trained pilots for them. For the first time, Chechen "Elki" took part in hostilities in the fall of 1994, when the forces of the "antiidudaev opposition" tried to seize Grozny. The planes conducted reconnaissance and struck with unguided rockets. On October 4, 1994, when a Chechen L-39 attempted to attack an opposition helicopter, it was shot down by MANPADS from the ground, and both pilots were killed. On November 26, Dudayev's Albatrosses took part in repelling another attempt by the "opposition" to seize Grozny, and bombed the enemy's artillery positions. After Russia on November 29 got involved in an open war, all Chechen aviation was instantly destroyed at its airfields.
In 1992, Kyrgyzstan received a significant number (more than a hundred) of MiG-21 and UTS L-39 fighters belonging to the Frunze Military Aviation School (322nd Training Aviation Regiment). In Kyrgyzstan, in 2002, Albatrosses supported government forces in operations against Islamist groups in the east of the country. During the hostilities, Kyrgyz L-39s carried out NAR C-5 missile strikes and conducted aerial reconnaissance. Due to the enemy's lack of air defense systems, they had no losses. Currently, the Kyrgyz Air Force has 4 L-39s.
Ethiopian L-39s fought very actively. First, they acted against the rebels in Eritrea, and then took part in the civil war in the territory of Ethiopia itself. When rebels fighting against Mengistu Haile Mariam's regime approached Addis Ababa in May 1991, Albatross pilots defended the capital until its fall. Then we flew to neighboring Djibouti. In 1993, the province of Eritrea separated into a separate state, but in 1998 another war broke out due to territorial differences between neighbors. The participation of L-39 in these battles was not noted, Ethiopia used Russian Su-27s in air battles, and Eritrea purchased MiG-29s from Ukraine. However, during training flights, the Albatrosses regularly fired at their own anti-aircraft gunners, confusing them with the light attack aircraft MB339, which were in service with the Eritrean Air Force. One such incident ended in failure. On November 13, 1998, near the Mekele airfield, an L-39 was shot down by a S-125 low-altitude air defense missile, the crew of which included the Ethiopian Air Force captain Endegen Tadessa and a Russian instructor, whose name was not named in the press. Both pilots were killed.
L-39 became a participant in the Syrian civil war. In the past, the Syrian Air Force received 99 Albatrosses of the L-39ZO and L-39ZA modifications. There is no exact data on how many cars were in flight condition by the beginning of the war. According to some reports, their number could reach fifty.
For Islamist militants, the L-39 has become one of the most hated aircraft. An important factor influencing the active use of Albatrosses in combat in Syria is the short preparation time for a second flight and low operating costs. Relatively low flight speed, good visibility and control at low altitudes make it possible to deliver very accurate missile and bomb strikes. Mainly, the 57-mm NAR C-5 and the FAB-100 and FAB-250 aerial bombs were used. Cannons were rarely used for firing at ground targets, since the aircraft was thus very vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.
Although the aircraft has one engine, and the pilots are not protected by armor, with proper use, losses were relatively small. At the moment, about 10 Elok units have been shot down by anti-aircraft guns. Several more vehicles were seriously damaged, but managed to return to the airbases. Most of the aircraft were hit during repeated approaches to the target or when returning to the airfield by the same route. The presence of a second crew member allows you to search for targets and inform the pilot about various threats and timely perform anti-aircraft maneuvers. True, sometimes danger lurked on the ground: for example, in October 2014, terrorists with the help of a TOW-2A ATGM burned an L-39ZA at the Aleppo airport. Another 7 aircraft became trophies of the militants after the seizure of the Kshesh airbase.
It is safe to say that the Albatross's combat career is far from over. Unfortunately, the Syrian government has very limited capabilities in terms of maintaining its fleet in flight condition, while the L-39, which requires less training and combat duty, is very attractive in terms of cost-effectiveness as a light attack aircraft. reconnaissance and observation aircraft. After the start of the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria, L-39s were less likely to be involved in bomb and assault strikes. But observers note the increased role of these aircraft as reconnaissance aircraft and anti-aircraft fire spotters during the operations of the Syrian army in the north of the country.
