Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

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 considered to belong to the Soviet third-generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat". It was the first attempt by the Soviet Union to design look-down/shoot-down radar and one of the first to be armed with beyond visual range missiles. Production started in 1970 and reached large numbers with over 5,000 aircraft built. Today the MiG-23 remains in limited service with various 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.
==Users==
*Afghanistan
**Afghan Air Force
*Algeria
**Algerian Air Force
*Angola
**Angolan Air Force
*Belarus
**Belarusian Air Force
*Bulgaria
**Bulgarian Air Force
*Democratic Republic of the Congo
**Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force
*Cuba
**Cuban Air Force
*Czech Republic
**Czech Air Force
*Czechoslovakia
**Czechoslovakian Air Force - passed onto Czech Air Force
*Egypt
**Egyptian Air Force
*Ethiopia
**Ethiopian Air Force
*Federal Republic of Germany
**Luftwaffe
*German Democratic Republic
**East German Air Force - passed onto German Air Force
*Hungary
**Hungarian Air Force
*India
**Indian Air Force
*Iran
**Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
*Iraq
**Iraqi Air Force
*Israel
**Israeli Air Force - captured aircraft
*Ivory Coast
**Ivory Coast Air Force
*Kazakhstan
**Kazakh Air Force
*Democratic People's Republic of Korea
**Korean People's Air Force
*Kyrgyzstan
**Kyrgyzstan Air Force
*Libya
**Libyan Air Force
*Namibia
**Namibian Air Force
*Poland
**Polish Air Force
*Romania
**Romanian Air Force
*Russia
**Russian Air Force
*Somalia
**Somalian Air Force
*Soviet Union
**Soviet Air Force - passed on to successor states
*Sri Lanka
**Sri Lankan Air Force
*Sudan
**Sudanese Air Force
*Syria
**Syrian Air Force
*Turkmenistan
**Turkmen Air Force
*Uganda
**Ugandan Air Force
*Ukraine
**Ukrainian Air Force
*Uzbekistan
**Uzbekistan Air Force
*Zambia
**Zambian Air Force
*Zimbabwe
**Zimbabwe Air Force
==See Also==
===Related Development===
*Mikoyan MiG-27
===Comparable Aircraft===
*Dassault Mirage F1
*Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II
**Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter
*General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
*Shenyang J-8
*Sukhoi Su-24
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