Heroic Escape: Pilots Survive Plane Crash in Vietnam

Two Vietnamese air force pilots safely ejected before their Yak-130 aircraft crashed during a challenging weather landing. The plane couldn't deploy its landing gear, forcing parachute escape. Both pilots were rescued after hours in a forest. Vietnam aims to diversify military suppliers beyond Russia.

Two Vietnamese air force pilots parachuted to safety before their twin-seat military plane crashed in Binh Dinh province during a landing attempt under adverse weather conditions, state media reported on Wednesday.

The incident involved a Russian-made Yak-130 light combat training aircraft, which faced a failure in deploying its landing gear. This forced the pilots to make an emergency escape by parachute, according to a defense ministry statement. For several hours, both pilots were unaccounted for.

However, Binh Dinh Newspaper, an official publication in the region, reported later that the military successfully rescued the pilots from a forested area. The crash highlights Vietnam's reliance on Russian military equipment and its ongoing efforts to diversify its sources.

(With inputs from agencies.)