MOSCOW, January 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is planning to start test flights of the fourth prototype Yak-130 combat training aircraft in March, a deputy Air Force commander said on Friday.

The Yak-130 single-seat aircraft can be used as a light strike aircraft or as a trainer for fourth and fifth generation fighters. With a production line launched in May 2003, the plane is also being marketed for export.

"The fourth Yak-130 will be used to test on-board equipment and weaponry," Lt. Gen. Alexander Pavlov said, adding that the tests would be completed by the end of 2008.

On July 26, 2006, the third prototype Yak-130 crashed in the Ryazan Region, about 150 miles southeast of Moscow, after a failure in the flight control system. But the Russian Defense Ministry later reaffirmed its plans to buy new Yak-130 planes despite the crash.

The Russian Air Force is planning to commission over 200 Yak-130 combat trainers to replace the L-39 Albatros aircraft currently in service.

The Yak-130 is a highly maneuverable aircraft with an extended range of about 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and a maximum speed of 1,060 km/h (600 m/h) in level flight. It can carry a combat payload of up to 3,000 kg (6,600 pounds), consisting of a variety of Russian and Western developed weapons.