Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

MiG-23
A Soviet Air Force MiG-23MLD
Role	Fighter aircraft (M series) Fighter-bomber (B series) Type of aircraft
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
Variants	Mikoyan MiG-27

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-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, alongside similar Soviet aircraft such as the Su-17 "Fitter". It was the first Soviet fighter to field a look-down/shoot-down radar, the RP-23 Sapfir, 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, making it the most produced variable-sweep wing aircraft in history. 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.