Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-23

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Russian: ?????? ? ??????? ???-23; NATO reporting
name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the
Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generation jet
fighter, the world's most-produced variable-geometry aircraft, along with
similar Soviet fighters such as the Su-15 "Flagon". It was the first Soviet
fighter to field a look-down/shoot-down radar and one of the first to be armed
with beyond visual range missiles. Production started in 1969 and reached large
numbers with over 5,000 aircraft built. Today the MiG-23 remains in limited
service with some export customers.

The basic design was also used as the basis for the Mikoyan MiG-27, a dedicated
ground-attack variant. Among many minor changes, the MiG-27 replaced the
MiG-23's nose-mounted radar system with an optical panel holding a laser
designator and a TV camera.

The MiG-23's predecessor, the MiG-21, was fast and agile, but limited in its
operational capabilities by its primitive radar, short range, and limited
weapons load (restricted in some aircraft to a pair of short-range R-3/K-13
(AA-2 "Atoll") air-to-air missiles). Work began on a replacement for the MiG-21
in the early 1960s. The new aircraft was required to have better performance and
range than the MiG-21, while carrying more capable avionics and weapons
including beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles. A major design consideration was
take-off and landing performance. Existing Soviet fast jets required very long
runways which, combined with their limited range, restricted their tactical
usefulness. The VVS demanded the new aircraft have a much shorter take-off run.
Low-level speed and handling was also to be improved over the MiG-21.
Manoeuvrability was not an urgent requirement. This led Mikoyan to consider two
options: lift jets, to provide an additional lift component, and
variable-geometry wings, which had been developed by TsAGI for both
"clean-sheet" aircraft designs and adaptations of existing designs.

The General Dynamics F-111 and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II were the main
Western influences on the MiG-23. The Soviets, however, wanted a much lighter,
single-engined fighter to maximize agility. Both the F-111 and the MiG-23 were
designed as fighters, but the heavy weight and inherent stability of the F-111
turned it into a long-range interdictor and kept it out of the fighter role. The
MiG-23's designers kept the MiG-23 light and agile enough to dogfight with enemy
fighters.


Role
Fighter aircraft (M series)
Fighter-bomber (B series)

National origin
Soviet Union

Manufacturer
Mikoyan-Gurevich / Mikoyan

First flight
10 June 1967

Introduction
1970

Status
In limited service

Primary users
Soviet Air Force (historical)
Syrian Air Force
Indian Air force (historical)
Bulgarian Air Force (historical)
See Operators below

Produced
1967–1985

Number built
5,047

Unit cost

$3.6–6.6 million (1980)


Variants
Mikoyan MiG-27

The aircraft was not used in large numbers by the non-Soviet air forces of the
Warsaw Pact as originally envisioned. When the MiG-23s were initially deployed,
they were considered the elites of the Eastern Bloc air forces. However, very
quickly the disadvantages became evident and the MiG-23 did not replace the
MiG-21 as initially intended. The aircraft had some deficiencies that limited
its operational serviceability and its hourly operating cost was thus higher
than the MiG-21s. The Eastern Bloc air forces used their MiG-23s to replace
MiG-17s and MiG-19s still in service.

The MiG-23 was the Soviet Air Force's "Top Gun"-equivalent aggressor aircraft
from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. It proved a difficult opponent for early
MiG-29 variants flown by inexperienced pilots. Exercises showed when well-flown,
a MiG-23MLD could achieve favorable kill ratios against the MiG-29 in mock
combat by using hit-and-run tactics and not engaging the MiG-29s in dogfights.
Usually the aggressor MiG-23MLDs had a shark mouth painted on the nose just aft
of the radome, and many were piloted by Soviet–Afghan War veterans. In the late
1980s, these aggressor MiG-23s were replaced by MiG-29s, also featuring shark
mouths.

Soviet–Afghan War

Soviet MiG-23s were used over Afghanistan. Some of them were claimed to have
been shot down.

Soviet and Afghan MiG-23s and Pakistani F-16s clashed a few times during the
Soviet–Afghan War from 1987. Two MiG-23 were claimed shot down in air to air
fight by Pakistani F-16s when crossing the border (they both were not confirmed)
while one F-16 was shot down on 29 April 1987. Pakistani and Western sources
consider it a friendly fire incident but the Soviet-backed Afghan government of
the time claimed that Soviet aircraft downed the Pakistani F-16 – a claim that
The New York Times and the Washington Post also reported. According to a Russian
version of the event, the F-16 was shot down when Pakistani F-16s encountered
Soviet MiG-23MLDs. Soviet MiG-23MLD pilots, while on a bombing raid along the
Pakistani-Afghan border, reported being attacked by F-16s and then seeing one
F-16 explode. It could have been downed by gunfire from a MiG whose pilot did
not report the kill, because Soviet pilots were not allowed to attack Pakistani
aircraft without permission.

Specifications (MiG-23MLD)

General characteristics
Crew: 1 sat on a Mikoyan KM-1M ejection seat
Length: 16.7 m (54 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 13.965 m (45 ft 10 in) fully spread
7.779 m (25.52 ft) fully-sweptHeight: 4.82 m (15 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 37.35 m2 (402.0 sq ft) fully-spread
34.16 m2 (367.7 sq ft) fully-sweptAirfoil: root: TsAGI SR-12S (6.5%) ; tip:
TsAGI SR-12S (5.5%)
Gross weight: 14,840 kg (32,717 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 17,800 kg (39,242 lb)
Fuel capacity: 4,260 l (1,130 US gal; 940 imp gal) internal with provision for
up to 3x 800 l (210 US gal; 180 imp gal) drop-tanks
Powerplant: 1 × Khatchaturov R-35-200 afterburning turbojet, 83.6 kN (18,800
lbf) thrust with variable-geometry nozzles dry, 127.49 kN (28,660 lbf) with
afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: 2,499 km/h (1,553 mph, 1,349 kn) / M2.35 at altitude
1,350 km/h (840 mph; 730 kn) / M1.1 at sea levelRange: 1,900 km (1,200 mi, 1,000
nmi) clean
Combat range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi) with standard armament, no drop-tanks
2,550 km (1,580 mi; 1,380 nmi) with standard armament and 3x 800 l (210 US gal;
180 imp gal) drop-tanksFerry range: 2,820 km (1,750 mi, 1,520 nmi) with 3x 800 l
(210 US gal; 180 imp gal) drop-tanks
Service ceiling: 18,300 m (60,000 ft)
g limits: +8.5
Rate of climb: 230 m/s (45,000 ft/min) at sea level

Take-off distance: 500 m (1,600 ft)
Landing distance: 750 m (2,460 ft)

Armament

Guns: 1 × 23 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon with 260 rounds
Hardpoints: 2 × fuselage, 2 × wing glove and 2 × wing pylons with a capacity of
up to 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) of stores,with provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets: S-5
Missiles: ***Air-to-air missiles: 2 × R-60
R-73
2 × R-23
R-77
2 × R-27R

Air-to-surface missiles: Kh-23 Grom

Bombs: Up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs per hardpoint

According to the MiG-23ML manual, the MiG-23ML has a maximum sustained turn rate
of 14.1 deg/sec and a maximum instantaneous turn rate of 16.7 deg/sec. The
MiG-23ML accelerates from 600 km/h (373 mph) to 900 km/h (559 mph) in 12 seconds
at the altitude of 1000 meters. The MiG-23 accelerates at the altitude of 1 km
from 630 km/h (391 mph) to 1300 km/h (808 mph) in 30 seconds and at the altitude
of 10–12 km will accelerate from Mach 1 to Mach 2 in 160 seconds





*