The first Soviet fighter with variable-geometry wings, the MiG-23, had greater payload capacity, flight range, and improved beyond-visual-range interception capabilities compared to the MiG-21. However, this aircraft had several significant drawbacks, writes military expert Steve Balestrieri in an article for 19FortyFive.
The MiG-23 had a reinforced chassis, allowing the pilot to use short runways. It received the RP-23 "Sapphire" radar sight. Equipped with an R-29-300 turbojet engine, the aircraft could reach speeds of at least 2500 km/h.
The MiG-23MS was developed for export, so the fighter had fewer capabilities than the basic Soviet version. In total, more than 5.3 thousand MiG-23s were produced from 1969 to 1985.
Despite the advanced approach of engineers and the implemented innovations, the MiG-23 turned out to be unsuccessful. The fighter was difficult to operate and expensive to maintain. And its engines had a short service life.
Against the backdrop of these problems, many countries of the Warsaw Pact Organization (USSR, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, German Democratic Republic (GDR), Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia) decided not to remove the outdated MiG-21 from service.
More than a dozen Syrian MiG-23 fighters were shot down by Israeli F-15s and F-16s during the Arab-Israeli wars. Libyan MiG-23s were also inferior to Egyptian MiG-21s.
Pilots had to change tactics to increase the fighter's survivability. They began to adhere to the principle of "hit and run," and it worked, the expert concluded.
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