Bangladesh Air Force gets Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft, AW 139 rescue helicopters

Russian-made Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft and Italian AW 139 helicopters have been inducted into the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed them over to the Air Force on Sunday at the BAF Bangabandhu Base in Dhaka.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also ruling Awami League president, on Sunday said self-confidence would take the nation forward though Bangladesh has resource constraints.

"If we have the self-confidence, the people of Bangladesh will move towards the path of progress with self-dignity", she said.

The premier came up with the observation while delivering her opening speech at the induction ceremony of Yak-130 Trainer Aircraft and Maritime Search and Rescue Hel Augusta AW-139 in Bangladesh Air Force at Air Base Bangabandhu in Dhaka Cantonment.

She said the people of Bangladesh attained their victory through the Liberation War under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Hasina also mentioned that the government wants to see Bangladesh and its people take their due places in the world arena with dignity.

She added: "The present government had never been miser when it came to providing assistance in the past, will never do in the future too although we have resource constraints".

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh would take its place as the most peaceful nation in the world while and enriched and develop nation in south Asia.

The premier mentioned that as it is very much important to ensure a full-time surveillance over Bangladesh sky in exclusive Economic Zones the government has established an Air Defence Radar in Cox's Bazar.

She also announced that 5 new MI-171 SH helicopters and 12 PT-6 training jets would be added to the fleet of the airport soon.

On her arrival, Air chief Air Marshal Abu Asrer and Commander of Bangabandhu Air Base Air Commodore M Obaidur Rahman received the premier.

The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft or lead-in fighter trainer. The AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engine search and rescue helicopter developed by Italy’s AgustaWestland.

Bangladesh had signed a deal with Russian state arms export agency Rosoboronexport to buy 24 Yak-130 trainers developed by the Irkut Corporation.

The deal was signed in 2013, according to Rosoboronexport head Anatoly Isaikin in an interview with Russia's ‘Kommersant’ newspaper.

Bangladesh also signed a deal to purchase two AW 139 helicopters, which will be used by the BAF to perform maritime search and rescue (SAR) operations and other utility missions, says AgustaWestland's website.