An excellent training airplane - it was superior both to the Czech Dolphin L-29 and the Polish Iskra TS-11, but fell as a victim of the socialist mutual aid.
More than a third of the Yak-38s produced were lost in accidents at immeasurably lower operating intensity than the Harrier. By the way, another nickname for the Yak-38 was "mast defense aircraft". One of the most disappointing projects of Soviet aviation.