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 See more

Western and Russian aviation historians usually differ in respect to combat record for their military vehicles and doctrines part due to the bias in favor of their respective national industries … See more

Current operators
Angola National Air Force of Angola; 22 MiG-23 in service as of December 2023. Democratic Republic of the Congo DR Congo Air Force; 2 … See more

Data from Brassey's world aircraft & systems directory, 1996/97 Jet Fighter MiG-23. Protecting the skies of the Motherland, See more

Armament
The armament carried by the MiG-23 changed as new models underwent development. The initial production variant, the MiG … See more

First-generation
Ye-231 ("Flogger-A") was the designation given to the prototype MiG-23 built for testing purposes. … See more

• 18 July 1980 : three weeks after the loss of Itavia Flight 870, the wreckage of a Libyan MiG-23 and the remains of its pilot were discovered on the Sila Mountains at Castelsilano, southern Italy, around 300 km (190 mi) from Flight 870's crash site.
• 26 … See more