21 Facts About Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union.

Today the MiG-23 remains in limited service with some export customers.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23's designers kept the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 light and agile enough to dogfight with enemy fighters.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 cockpit was considered an improvement over previous Soviet fighters as it was more ergonomic in its layout.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 was among the first Soviet aircraft to feature variable-geometry wings.

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Prototype version of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 carried three fuel tanks in the fuselage, with capacities of 1,920,820 and 710 liters respectively.

In general the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 was unpopular with the American pilots because it was so dangerous to fly.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 was not designed to combat F-5s, a weakness reflected by early Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 variants.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 concluded the MiG-23ML was superior in the vertical to early F-16 variants, just slightly inferior to the F-16A in the horizontal, and had superior BVR capability.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 was first officially commissioned into the Soviet Air Forces on 4 January 1974, but even before its mass introduction there had been many teething problems with the brand-new fighter.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 was the Soviet Air Force's "Top Gun"-equivalent aggressor aircraft from the late 1970s to the late 1980s.

Two Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 were claimed shot down by Pakistani F-16s when crossing the border while one F-16 was shot down on 29 April 1987.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 was about to attack another F-4 with cannon fire, but was shot down by friendly fire from a SAM battery.

On 23 March 2014, one Syrian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 was shot down after being hit by an AIM-9 Sidewinder fired by a Turkish F-16 in the vicinity of the Syrian town of Kessab.

On 9 September 2020, a Syrian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 crashed in Deir ez-Zor Governorate without information on the fate of its pilot.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 took part in the Iran–Iraq War and was used in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

In return, Iraqi Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 pilots have claimed around 20 aerial victories, of which seven have been confirmed after cross-examination with data from Iranian sources.

On 9 September 1999, a lone Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 crossed the no-fly zone heading towards a flight of F-14s.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 interceptors were used by Libya during the action in the Gulf of Sidra in 1986.

Limited number of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23's which survived the 2011 Libyan civil war and NATO bombings were involved in air strikes between the opposing Libyan House of Representatives and the rival General National Congress during the Second Libyan Civil War with both parties controlling a limited number of aircraft.

On 29 November 2020, an Ethiopian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 reportedly crashed during the Tigray conflict near Abiy Addi, 50 kilometers west of Mekelle.