All-weather multipurpose VTOL jet fighter Yak-141 will be the pinnacle of the Yakovlev fighter family in the Soviet tech tree with the upcoming Sky Guardians update!

Yak-141, Strike aircraft/Naval aircraft, USSR. Rank VIII

Features:

• Supersonic
• Deadly air-to-air missiles
• VTOL capability
• Advanced electronics
• Lacks air-to-surface guided munitions

An experimental carrier-based multi-purpose V/STOL aircraft has been developed at the Yakovlev Design Bureau since the mid-1970s. The aircraft was designed as an advanced carrier-based aircraft to replace the Yak-38 with performance characteristics close to light fighters from the 4th generation. This jet fighter should become the standard carrier-based aircraft of the Soviet aircraft carriers, including carrier cruisers being designed and under construction. During development, the project has undergone many iterations, including fundamental changes in the aerodynamic schemes. Due to multiple issues and delays in the development of a power plant, the Yak-141 made its maiden flight only in March 1987, and deck tests on the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft-carrying cruiser began only at the end of 1991. Due to the economic crisis and lack of funding, the project was closed. The aircraft also did not arouse commercial interest among potential foreign operators. In total, four prototypes of the Yak-141 were built, including two flight ones, which are on display in two museums near Moscow.
The new Soviet carrier-based multi-role jet fighter Yak-141 (NATO reporting name Freestyle) , which will appear in the War Thunder Sky Guardians update, will become the most advanced V/STOL carrier-based aircraft of the USSR tech tree and the pinnacle of Yakovlev aircraft in the game. Vertical takeoff and landing, speed of about Mach 1.7, excellent air-to-air missiles and good ground attack capabilities are the main features of the new aircraft! And now a little more details. VTOL aircraft are quite widely known in the game and are mastered by a large audience of pro pilots who find more and more new tactics due to the unique ability of changing the thrust vector. The common problem of such aircraft is the relatively low maximum speed, which at their ranks does not allow full-fledged competition with light and almost twice as fast opponents. Well, here comes the Yak-141! Possessing an excellent climb rate, this jump jet very quickly breaks the sonic barrier, and at high altitude is able to speed up over 1,800 km/h at minimal payloads. Add to this very sensitive controls, satisfying roll and turn speeds, a radar and a RWS a winning formula for an interceptor, no?
But a top-tier interceptor cannot be good without effective missiles. Again, the Yak-141 is locked and loaded! The R-60 missiles for close combat and the R-27 family of medium-range missiles in three versions: the radar-guided R-27R, the thermal R-27T, as well as one of the best in the game R-27ER missiles are at your service. It's pleasant that there are four suspension points for air-to-air missiles, so the pilot can combine missiles of different ranges and different target acquisition principles. The GSh-30-1 rapid-firing cannon with a modest 120 rounds of ammunition will help in the snap-shoot face offs. Since the Yak-141 was also supposed to provide fire support to the troops from the air, a rather high payload of conventional armaments could be suspended on the wings, from incendiary and HE bombs up to 500 kg, gun pods, to a variety of unguided rockets, including heavy S-24B . But there are no air-to-surface guided armaments here, so it is still better to choose the Yak-38 for hunting tanks in a hover.
The cockpits of the brand new Yak-141s will wide open their canopies for their pilots with the release of the Sky Guardians update very soon. Keep an eye on the Devblog series for the most interesting news about the patch. See you in the War Thunder skies!