Following a quiet factory visit by Armenian President Khachaturyan, reports emerge that Yerevan has finalized an order for the new Czech combat-trainers.

On September 17, an X (formerly Twitter) account tracking the Czech defense industry reported that the Czech company Aero Vodochody AEROSPACE— known notably for producing the Aero L-29 Delfin and Aero L-39 Albatros combat-trainer aircraft — is currently manufacturing four L-39 Skyfox aircraft for Armenia.

The L-39 Skyfox, also known as the L-39NG (Next Generation), is a variant of the L-39 Albatros. The Albatros was a prominent combat-trainer aircraft during the 1970s and 1990s, particularly in Eastern Europe and countries of the socialist bloc, including the USSR. Over 2,900 L-39 Albatros aircraft have been built throughout its history.

The L-39 Skyfox program was launched in 2015, and the maiden flight of this specific model took place in 2018. While the Albatros was known as a trainer aircraft for civilian and military pilots — capable of serving as a light attack aircraft as well (having seen use in the Libyan, Syrian, and Russo-Ukrainian wars) — the Skyfox is not only a trainer for military pilots but can also serve in attack and reconnaissance roles.

L-39 Skyfox aircraft, Pardubice, Czech Republic, June 7, 2025; source: commons.wikimedia.org

The L-39 Skyfox has a service life of up to 15,000 flight hours. It is designed for a crew of two. Its empty weight is 3,280 kg, and its maximum takeoff weight (including the aircraft itself, payload, fuel, and crew) is 5,600 kg. The payload capacity is 1,350 kg. The maximum speed of the L-39 is 907 km/h.

L-39 Skyfox aviation machine gun; photo by Karel Šubrt, commons.wikimedia.org

It features five hard points capable of carrying several types of weaponry, including missiles and bombs. It can also be equipped with a machine gun, while the reconnaissance variant can be fitted with surveillance equipment.

President of Armenia visits L-39 production facility

In early September, President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan paid an official visit to the Czech Republic. Although the president's official website contains no information regarding a visit to the Aero Vodochody AEROSPACE company (AERO) on the 4th of the month, we learn about this visit from the company's website.

President Khachaturyan at the Czech company AERO, September 4, 2026; source: aero.cz

While touring the facility, President Khachaturyan dove into AERO’s manufacturing ecosystem, exploring everything from aircraft development and maintenance to the historic legacy of Czech aviation. But the true star of the visit was the state-of-the-art L-39 Skyfox. The president got a firsthand look at the next-gen trainer, examining its design and learning exactly how it prepares modern military pilots for the skies.

AERO's Board Chairman, Viktor Sotona, warmly welcomed the delegation, highlighting Armenia's decades-long experience with the original L-39 Albatros. Sotona noted that presenting the Skyfox was a proud moment for the company, expressing strong confidence that the meeting would inject new momentum into their long-standing relationship.

Far left: Sotona; far right: Khachaturyan - September 4, 2026; source: aero.cz

Armenia’s history with the aircraft runs deep

While AERO has stopped short of a formal public announcement regarding the sale, the pieces of the puzzle are hard to ignore. The Armenian president's quiet visit to the factory floor, coupled with the defense leaks surfacing on X just days later, strongly indicate that Yerevan is moving past casual interest and has already taken concrete steps toward a purchase.

This transition is a natural evolution for a nation deeply familiar with the airframe. Armenia’s history with the platform runs deep; data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) confirms that the country first acquired two L-39 Albatros jets from Ukraine in 2004, followed by a direct order for four more in 2009, which were integrated into its air force by 2011.

Armenian Air Force L-39C Albatros, Shirak Airport, Gyumri, November 18, 2015; photo by Nikolay Nikitin, russianplanes.net

However, the number of Albatros aircraft possessed by Armenia is higher, as indicated by satellite imagery. Accordingly, in 2023–2024, Armenia had at least 8-10 L-39s (though it is unknown how many of these are airworthy).

Armenian Air Force L-39C Albatros, Erebuni Airport, Yerevan, June 26, 2017; photo by Yuri Skriptsov, russianplanes.net

Notably, various figures regarding the number of L-39s in the Armenian Air Force circulate in various sources, with a maximum estimate of 12.

Czech aircraft in the 1990s Artsakh war

In the 1990s, the country's air force also operated at least one L-29 Delfin. Specifically, it is known that on July 14, 1995 — following the 1994 ceasefire of the First Artsakh War — an L-29 combat-trainer aircraft crashed while carrying out a combat mission in Artsakh; the crew members, Colonel Boris (Baris) Babayan (Deputy Head of the Aviation Department of the RA Ministry of Defense) and Major Samson Samsonyan, were both killed.

An Armenian Air Force L-39C Albatros at the Artsakh Airfest, June 18, 2018; facebook.com

Azerbaijan also relied heavily on this aviation lineage during the 1990s Artsakh war. By late 1992, Baku had deployed a fleet of fifty-two L-29 combat-trainer aircraft, alongside an array of other combat planes and helicopters, directly into the theater of war. Some historical accounts suggest their fleet was even larger, climbing to seventy planes by that summer — a figure that likely combined both the older L-29 Delfin and the newer L-39 Albatros.

Azerbaijan thrust these planes into active combat roles against Armenian forces, turning to them as frontline alternatives after sustaining catastrophic losses to its military helicopter regiments. The intense aerial warfare came at a prohibitive cost. Historical records indicate that Armenian defensive units successfully downed at least fourteen Azerbaijani L-29 Delfins during the 1990s war.

Top photo: L-39 Skyfox aircraft in flight; source: aero.cz