They were demonstrated during the Aviation Expo 2026 air show at the Bishoftu airfield of the 1st Central Air Base of the Ethiopian Air Force. russian Yak-130s delivered to the Ethiopian Air Force, January 2026 / Screenshot from open-source videoThis announcement is noteworthy for several reasons. It turned out that russians successfully sold their Yak‑130 aircraft to Ethiopia, which had previously received two problematic "Indian" Su‑30Ks in January 2024—aircraft that russia had been trying to sell for 15 years. However, when it comes to UAVs, Ethiopia boasts a veritable "zoo," including the Turkish Akinci and Bayraktar TB2, the Iranian Mohajer‑6, and the Chinese Wing Loong I. Against this backdrop, one (or even several) Orion UAVs from russia look like nothing more than an "addition to the collection."

Source: Ethiopian News January 27, 2026 22:13 UTC