Hobby Master Archive

MiG-23

In the 1960’s the Soviet military required a replacement for the MiG-21 that could compete with the USAF F-14 Tomcat. It had to be very fast, rapid acceleration, carry a larger payload, capable of a high service ceiling, long range and beyond visual range intercept capabilities. The project was given to the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau that produced the Model 23-11 that first flew on June 10, 1967. Production began in 1969 and eventually completed over 5,000 swing-wing MiG-23s. A ground-attack variant was also produced, the MiG-27.

MIG-23M Flogger "Yellow 49", 787th IAP, Eberswalde, Finow AB, Brandenburg, East Germany, 1970s

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MIG-23MS 6915, Libyan Air Force 1980s

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MIG-23MS Red 49, 4477th Test and Evaluation Sqn., Tonopah Test Range Airfield, USAF, 1980s

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MIG-23MS "IAF F-4E Killer" flown by Captain al-Masry, Syrian Air Force, 19th April 1974

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MIG-23MF "3922" 1. SLP, Ceske Budejovice AB, CSFR, 1992

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MIG-23MF "Red 149" 28 Pulk Lotnictwa Mysilwskiego Slupsk, Redzikowo AB, Poland

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MIG-23MF Flogger "Hell Fighter" 3646, Czech Republic Air Force, 1994

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MIG-23MS Flogger 4012, No. 39 Squadron, Iraqi Air Force, 1981

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MIG-23MLD White 55, 120 IAP, Bagram AB, Afghanistan 1989

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MIG-23MLD 2nd Squadron "Aggressor", Turkmenia, November 1990

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MIG-23ML Flogger 4644, CIAF 99, Czech Air Force, 1999

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MiG-23MLD Blue 03, Soviet Air Force, Bagram, Afghanistan, July 1987

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MiG-23ML Flogger Red 340, JG-9 "Heinrich Rau", East German Air Force (GDR), 1990

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MIG-23-98 White 36, Russian Air Force (with 4 x R-77 missiles)

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MIG-23ML Flogger 2786, Israeli Air Force, 1990s "defection plane of Maj. Adul Bassem of Syria AF"

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MIG-23MS "Flogger E" Red 39, 4477th Test & Evaluation Sqn., Nevada, 1981 to 1988

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