The development of MiG-23 was on the way to improving the design of the glider and its electronics, besides improving the production technology. The inevitable increase in the mass of the aircraft required measures to maintain the specific wing loading. To solve this problem it was possible due to development of a new part of the wing with a larger chord. Its characteristic feature was the "dog tooth" on the leading edge, which gave the aircraft some resemblance to a bat. In 1971, a small batch of MiG-23s, which did not have a letter index, was released with new wing consoles (the so-called MiG-23 of the 1971 model). The tail of these machines was displaced back to 860 mm, and in addition, a fourth fuselage fuel tank was added. Designers had to abandon the slat, as a result, the aircraft was predisposed to stalling at takeoff and landing modes. Soon, there was an unpleasant event, the test pilot OKB V.Menitsky and the military pilot Yu.Maslov, who, fortunately, managed to successfully land the planes almost had air accidents. However, for the test pilot LII Enna Kaarma flight on such an MiG-23 ended in disaster. However, a limited number of these aircraft entered the army.
The next stage in the evolution of the aircraft was the MiG-23M ("23-11M"), which turned out to be the most massive fighter from the family of "twenty-third". The aircraft also had a wing with a "dog tooth" and a fourth fuselage fuel tank, but the consoles were equipped with a deflectable leading edge, actuated synchronously with the flap, which significantly increased the lifting properties of the wing on the runways. The aircraft was equipped with the engine P-29-300 (thrust 8300/11500 kgf). The radar "Sapphire-23D" was included, and which was finally brought to the stage of mass production. It was for domestic serial fighters to received a radar capable of operating on enemy aircraft flying against the background of the ground. The detection range of the standard target was 55 km, the range of target tracking was 35 km, the processing of radar information before being displayed into the sight was carried out by an analog computer AVM-23. To provide the radar station with more "comfortable" working conditions, the shape of the radio-transparent radome was changed, and it became a conical oval. Under the fuselage of the MiG-23M, the TP-23 infrared direction finder was placed behind the wedge-shaped glazing. The aircraft was equipped with the advanced automated control system SAU-23A, as well as the navigation system "Polet-1 I-23".
The MiG-23M weaponry was significantly expanded and included: an integrated GSh-23L gun, two medium range R-23R (radar semi-active guidance system) or R-23T (IR homing), two or four short-range R-3S, R-3P or K-13M short range air to air missiles, or the newer R-60 air to air missile. For suspension of the latter, the APU-60/2, was designed for two air to air missiles, to be carried, which allowed bringing their total number on board the aircraft to six. "The R-60" was created under the leadership of MR. Bisnovata and became the first rocket of this class in the world, capable of being fired at an overload of a carrier aircraft of up to 7G units, that is, practically at the limit of maneuverability of the aircraft. To destroy ground targets, the fighter was equipped with guided missiles X-66 and X-23R, NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24, as well as free-falling bombs, one-time bombs and napalm tanks with a mass of up to 500 kg.
MiG-23M made the first flight in June 1972 under Fedotov. The new aircraft, like the MiG-23S, did not meet a special love among the military pilots, although many of the shortcomings of the first serial version of the "twenty-third" were eliminated in its design. The undeveloped technology for manufacturing wing consoles still imposed serious restrictions on maneuverability and G load handling. The pilots and technicians of the Air Force Research Institute, suffering from the MiG-23M, bitterly joked: "They would soon be removed from the arsenal and converted to flying targets, then we will re-take them!". However, the production of the MiG-23M was constantly gaining momentum, reaching by 1976 eight aircraft per month.
Developer: OKB Mikoyan, Gurevich
Country: USSR
First flight: 1972
Type: Frontal fighter
The increase in the production of the MiG-23M had a negative impact on the program for the creation of another supersonic aircraft - the Sukhoi T-4 ("100") bomber: The Tushinsky Machine Building Plant (TMZ), who built this machine, received a large order for the production of welded sections for the fuselage of MiG-23M. The Air Force command and the leadership of the MAP found the MiG-23 program to be more of a priority, and work on the "T-4" gradually ceased. Using the technology worked out on this machine, TMZ tried to master the production of sections of the MiG-23M fuselage made of titanium alloy, however such powerful forces on the fuselage parts cracked even stronger than steel ones, and this idea was abandoned.
The improvement of the MiG continued. Its design was gradually brought to higher reliability, and the afterburner thrust of the engine was increased by 1500kgf to a higher yield of 12,300kgf. It should be noted that the best American serial fighter of the early 70's. F-4E "Phantom-II", being much heavier and more expensive than the Soviet machine, was inferior to the MiG-23M in maneuvering, acceleration characteristics, climb rate, maximum speed and ceiling. The MiG-23M together with the newest fighter for gaining superiority in the air, the MiG-21bis - in fact this new aircraft with significantly improved flying technical characteristics, the MiG-23M - provided the soviet air force with superiority over American fighter aircraft right up to the introduction of the US Air Force in the second half of the 1970s, of the newer fourth generation F-15A and F-16A fighters.
As the main probable opponents of the MiG-23M in the 1970s, were the American fighter F-4E Phantom II (McDonnell produced 1127 aircraft of this model) and the French Mirage F-1. In combat with these formidable opponents, the MiG-23M pilot, depending on the conditions of air combat, could make full use of the positive qualities of its aircraft with variable geometry wing, which gave him the greatest possible superiority in maneuverability for each flight speed. So, the MiG-23M pilot could impose the combat conditions by making the wing shift to the maximum sweep and switch to a supersonic mode, in which the MiG-23M had a quicker acceleration time. The minimum sweep could be used in combat at flight speeds of less than 700-800 km / h, especially on vertical maneuvers . Almost in the entire range of altitudes at speeds of 700-1100 km / h, the MiG-23M was superior to the Mirage F-1 in maneuverability and climb rate. At speeds of over 1100 km / h at medium and high altitudes, the MiG-23M pilot was unable to match the Mirage on sustained turn handling. The existing superiority of the MiG in the rate of climbing was expediently used to transfer the battle to ascending vertical maneuvers with small overloads, which would lead to a decrease in speed and would transfer the fight to the conditions where the MiG-23 was superior to the Mirage F-1.
When conducting an air battle with the F-4E at speeds of 800-1100 km / h at low and medium altitudes at overloads close to the maximum in thrust, the MiG-23M in a horizontal maneuver surpassed the enemy, yielding to him in a vertical maneuver. The superiority of the MiG-23M over the F-4E (the most massive Israeli air force aircraft) indirectly confirms the fact that from the second half of the 1970s, from the moment of the MiG-23's appearance in the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force stopped using Phantoms for conducting air battles. Comparing the capabilities of combat aircraft, it is very important to evaluate their aiming systems and weapons. Without exaggeration, it can be noted that the aiming system of the MiG-23M fighter was not inferior to the aiming systems of the F-4E fighter aircraft (AN / APQ-120 radar, AN / ASG-26 optical sight) and Mirage F-1 (SIRANO IV radar, optical sight CSF-196), and by some parameters significantly exceeded them. The AN / APQ-120 radar, compared to the French and Soviet radars, did not have a target detection mode on the ground, and was also less jam-resistant. The presence on the MiG-23M of the thermal direction-finder significantly expanded its combat capabilities and allowed to successfully carry out combat missions even in conditions of powerful electronic countermeasures. Detection range of the TP-23 of an F-4 from the rear hemisphere in simple weather conditions was about 20 km. The R-23R surpassed in its capabilitiess , theAIM-7B "Sparrow" and "Matra" R.530 with a radar homing, but somewhat it was inferior to what the air to air missile the F-4E received in the second half of the 1970s, the AIM-7F Sparrow, which, however, it was compensated by a more powerful MiG-23M sighting system.
It must be remembered that during the time of the mass production of the MiG-23M (1974-1976), neither F-15 nor F-16 were yet in service. The first F-15A appeared in the US Air Force only in the late 1976 (in the US Air Force in Europe - in the spring of 1977), and F-16 - only in late 1978. Of course, in terms of their flight characteristics and combat capabilities, the new American fighters outmatched the MiG-23M, but they were already planes of a newer generation. Moreover, the first serial F-16s, produced for several years, did not have medium-range missiles in their armament and could successfully fight the MiG-23M only in close combat, which was confirmed in 1982 during the battles over Lebanon . In 1982, Syrian pilots on the
MiG-23MF (the MiG-23M export version), not even trained in the way of conducting close combat maneuvering (it began to be developed in the USSR only in 1980, after removing restrictions on the MiG-23 overload capability) successfully resisted Israeli F-15 and F-16. By the beginning of hostilities, in 1982, in the fighter squadron of the 17th Brigade Air Force of Syria (Sigal airbase) were 21 MiG-23MF aircraft. The combat load of most of the squadron fighters included two R-23R, two UR R-60 and 200 rounds for the GSh-23A gun. During six days of the Lebanon war, the pilots of the squadron flew 52 sorties on the MiG-23MF, destroying 6 Israeli planes according to Syrian data, on other source- (six F-16, two F-15 one unmanned UAV). All Israeli planes were shot down from the first attack by R-23R missiles, which confirmed the high capabilities of the Sapphire-23D-III radar. The losses of Syrians were six MiG-23MF (two pilots were killed, four safely ejected). It should be noted that the removal of the Syrian land-based radar posts from the theater of military operations excluded the detection of low-flying Israeli fighters. At the same time, Israeli ground-based radars installed on the Golan Heights and reinforced by the Hawkeye E-2 aircraft fully controlled the airspace over the entire range of heights, ensuring the effective deployment of their fighters. Taking this into account, as well as using only the newest F-15 and F-16 fighters in air battles, the use of the MiG-23MF in 1982 over Lebanon can be considered successful.
MiG-23MF (izd.23MF, izd.2MF, variant A) is a single-seat frontal fighter with the R29-300 engine, modification of the MiG-23M with the S-23E armament system, practically not different in characteristics from the MiG-23M fighter armament system, for supplies for export to the Warsaw Treaty countries, and then Arab states. In 1977, on the basis of the MiG-23M, a MiG-23MF fighter was created, which was mainly intended for equipping the air forces of the Warsaw Pact countries. It differed from its prototype only slightly simplified avionics. For example, an export version of the command guidance system "Lazur-SMA", a radio sight "Sapphire-23E" ("E" - export), a TP-23-1 infrared search and track direction finder with slightly worse characteristics were installed on the plane. Part of the MiG-23MF was converted from the MiG-23M. Was built at the MAPO in 1974-1978. for exports to the Middle East and Africa. The first importing country of the MiG-23MF was Bulgaria, which received these fighters in 1978. It was built serially at MAPO in 1978-1983.
Libya and other Arab countries bought from the USSR a simplified export modification of the MiG-23MS (Export) (in the NATO classification - Flogger-E). This aircraft retained the design of the basic model, but was equipped with a R-27F2M-300 engine with a thrust of 10,200 kg. It was also equipped with a less powerful radar "Sapphire-21", housed in a shortened nose cone. This radar had a range of search and tracking of 29 km and 18 km, respectively, and did not have lock down shoot down capability. Its avionics did not include infrared sensors and Doppler navigation. This modification with minor changes in equipment was supplied to the Air forces of many Arab countries. All export modifications of the aircraft were substantially inferior in terms of capacity and capabilities to the aircraft that are in service with the CIS countries.
Considering short-range missiles with a thermal homing head, it can be noted that the AIM-9A "Sidewinder" and R-3S were similar, as well as AIM-9C, "Matra" R.550 and R-13M. The advantage of the MiG-23M consisted in equipping its UR with the very maneuverable air to air R-60 missiles. Similar missiles in 1975 were not armed with probable adversaries. The situation changed only later, with the adoption in the US of the AIM-9L with a more sensitive thermal homing head than the R-60. Assessing the cannon armament, it can be noted that compared to the American gun "Vulcan" MG1, the Soviet GSh-23L had better ballistic characteristics, a larger caliber and a larger projectile weight. However, the F-4E had a fire time of 6-7 seconds, the MiG-23M had 4 seconds, and the Mirage F-1 had more than 10 seconds, although the two French DEFA guns were slightly inferior to the GSh-23L for a second salvo. A comparison of the aiming and arming systems of the three machines shows that the capabilities of radar sights for detecting air targets and their aiming capability, were practically the same, with a slight advantage in the Soviet radar. "Sapphire-23D-III" had higher jamming immunity and superiority over the AN / APQ-120 radar in the ability for mutual detection of MiG-23M and F-4E aircraft are almost the same, at extremely small and medium altitudes. Using the IRST on the MiG-23M made it possible to carry out covert attacks in the back hemisphere of the enemy fighters. In close combat, the MiG-23M had superiority over the F-4E and the "Mirage" F.1 due to the possibility of using R-60 dogfight missiles, which compensated for the shortcomings of the cannon armament of the MiG-23M. From the foregoing, we can conclude that the MiG-23M in combat capabilities outperformed its contemporary Western fighters. However, it was not possible to meet these planes directly in battle. And the MiG-23M had to fight in 1982 against the Israeli F-15 and F-16 over Lebanon. Some unscrupulous analysts, purely mechanically comparing the Soviet fighter with the F-15 and F-16, make the incorrect conclusion that the MiG-23M was a bad fighter and did not meet the requirements of the time.
In 1973, the first export modification of the "twenty-third" had its first flight. The MiG-23MS (izd.23MS, izd.2MS, variant E) is a single-seat frontal fighter powered by the R-29-300 engine, It is a modification of the MiG-23M with the simplified weapon system "Almaz-23" (similar to the S-21M weapon system of the MiG-21bis aircraft) . The MiG-23MS was produced for four years, until 1978. A total of 179 machines of this modification were produced.
The aircraft had simplified electronics (in particular, the Sapphire-21 radar) and weapons, which included only short-range missiles: R-13M, R-3S and R-3R. Soon this aircraft was adopted by the Air Force of Syria, Algeria, Iraq and several other countries-allies of the USSR. Several MiG-23MS were transferred to the US by the Egyptian government in the late 1970s.
Power plant
The most “advanced” modification of the machine, the MiG 23MLD, is equipped with a R-35-300 turbojet engine. Earlier options were equipped with power plants R29B-300 and R27F2M-300. So that all these engines could be launched at high altitude, an oxygen recharge system was installed on the fighter.
Engine air intake control system
Changing the parameters of the air intakes can be carried out both manually and automatically. For this, the aircraft is equipped with an ATC-23 system, which is able to independently select one of three control programs, depending on the flight mode in which the fighter is located. Manual mode is emergency.
Large cross-section air intakes are located on the sides of the fuselage just behind the cockpit. The air intake is equipped with a plate with a large number of holes suctioning the boundary layer for satisfactory air supply to the engine over the entire speed range. When looking at the air intake with a plate spaced from the fuselage with the formation of a gap for draining the air boundary layer by the boundary layer diverter, an American “phantom” immediately comes to mind. On the side wall of the air intake, one above the other, there are two flaps designed to remove excess air.
Landing gear system and brake parachute
The MiG 23 aircraft has three landing gears - the front, with swivel wheels, and two main. The cleaning and exhaust mechanism is hydraulic. In addition, a backup pneumatic system was installed (in the early versions it was the main one). The wheels of the side landing gear are equipped with hydraulic brakes.
At the bottom of the keel of the fighter there is a container in which a special parachute is placed, which creates additional braking during landing. The pilot can apply this tool by clicking on one of the buttons in the cockpit.
Fuel system
Fuel tanks are placed on the MiG-23 aircraft inside the wings and fuselage. The number of these tanks was initially 10, but then the fighter was lightened. On the modifications of the MiG-23ML and MLD there are 4 wing and 3 fuselage tanks left. This reduced the combat radius, but significantly improved maneuverability.
GP1-23L gun (23 mm, 200 rounds), medium-range missiles R-23R or R-24R
(MiG-23MLA and MiG-23MLD) with a semi-active radar guidance system, R-23T or R-24T (MiG-23MLA and MiG-23MLD) with TGS; two - four short-range missiles K-13M, R-ZR or R-ZS with a semi-radar guidance system or TGS; four - six URs of close combat R-60 and R-60M (typical weaponry - two UR R-23 or R-24 under the wing and two R-ZS or four R-60 under the fuselage); two UR X-23 for the destruction of ground targets; NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24; free-falling bombs with a caliber of up to 500 kg with a total weight of up to 2000 kg (options for MiG-23MF: 16 FAB-100, 6 FAB-250, 4 FAB-500 or 2 ZB-500). In the upgraded version of the MiG-23MLD, the weight of the combat load can reach 4500 kg. In the course of modernization, it is possible to equip the aircraft with improved UR R-27 and R-73.
MiG-23 aircraft of various modifications were supplied to the Air Force and the Air Defense Forces of the USSR, Air Force
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Egypt, Libya, Hungary, Iraq, India, North Korea, Ethiopia, South Yemen, Poland, Syria, Vietnam. Serial production ceased in the early 1980s.
The composition of the MiG-23M weapons was significantly expanded and included: the built-in GSh-23L gun, two medium-range missiles R-23R (semi-active radar guidance system) or R-23T (infrared homing), two or four short-range missiles R-3C, R -3P or K-13M, or R-60 dogfight missiles. For the suspension of the latter, the APU-60/2, designed for two missiles, could be used, which made it possible to bring their total number on board the aircraft to six. The “Sixty” was created under the leadership of M.R. Bisnovat and became the first missile of this class in the world capable of being launched up to 7G units by the carrier aircraft firing it, that is, practically at the limit of the aircraft’s maneuverability. To defeat ground targets, the fighter was equipped with X-66 and X-23R, NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24 guided missiles, as well as free-falling bombs, one-time bomb cartridges and tanks with napalm weighing up to 500 kg.
The MiG-23M made its first flight in June 1972 under the control of Fedotov. The new aircraft, like the MiG-23S, did not find much love among military pilots, although many of the shortcomings of the first production version of the "twenty-third" were eliminated in its design. The lack of development of the technology for the manufacture of wing consoles still imposed serious restrictions on overload. The detection of a target such as a bomber in free air space was 33 km for the use of its weapons, a fighter - from 20 km; Against the background of the ground, the capture took place, respectively, from the line of 18 km for the bomber and 7 km for the fighter. The significance of what has been achieved can be judged by the fact that the Phantom in the mass modification of the F-4E did not have such capabilities: the AN / APQ-120 fire control system radar installed on it provided a shorter range for detecting and tracking air targets, especially against aircraft flying at low altitude against the background of the ground, and it was inferior to Sapphire-23D in terms of noise immunity. For all its merits, the new radar was a bulky and extremely “heavy” structure: suffice it to say that the Sapphire-23D-III equipment set weighed 564.5 kg. The station had its own liquid cooling system using synthetic antifreeze M-65, which, in turn, was cooled through a heat exchanger with fuel in one of the fuselage tanks. The radar was supplemented with an improved radio line for transmitting one-time commands for ground guidance
The use of the new radar significantly exceeded the capabilities of both the MiG-23S and S-23L stations, which were part of the MiG-23M weapon system. Thermal direction finder TP-23 and optical sight ASP-23D among other things. "Sapphire" could be used in the same way as it was on the previous modification,
TP-23 was mounted on electro-optical sight under a belly position behind the nose landing gear. tTis was replaced by an improved TP-23-1, which was different. A typical target of the Tu-16 type was detected with a rear version of the coordinator and a cooling unit in a hemisphere from a distance of at least 30-35 km. However, the effect is in the form of a monoblock. The Infrared serch and track unit could be modernized and effectively use the same TP-23 exclusively by the MiG-23M with a mixed version of missile weapons: under the fuselage on the P-62-II racks which could set four R-60 missiles, And under the wing on the APU-23M rack- a pair of "long-range" R-23RTs,
As noted by the leadership of the Air Force Main Command, “the appearance of the S-23D-III surveillance and sighting system was accompanied by a qualitative change in the composition of weapons.” Finally, the MiG-23 got the opportunity to use the entire arsenal intended for the new fighter, including R-23R missiles with radar homing. With the advent of the MiG-23M front-line
Such characteristics allowed the MiG-23M to intercept strike aircraft of a potential enemy, whose main tactic was a breakthrough to the target and delivering strikes from low altitudes, and on equal terms to resist fighters, combining medium-range attacks and conducting maneuverable air combat. Compared to its predecessors, the MiG-23M had a significantly increased range, and the characteristics of its search and sighting system with an increased detection range gave the vehicle the possibility of some autonomy of action without the indispensable "binding" to the ground guidance network and combat control, stations vulnerable to interference in the conditions of modern warfare. In terms of the range of detection of air targets, the MiG-23M surpassed the MiG-21bis by almost twice the range of detection, almost the same was in the terms of the range of hitting the enemy with a missile attack. The combat load of the MiG-23M was brought up to 2000 kg.
When the MiG-23M fighter was armed with four R-3S missiles, in combat these were fired from a range of more than 2500 m. The R-3S and the American Sidewinder proved to be ineffective against targets capable of maneuvering. The air force demanded considerable attention to vigorous maneuvers, avoiding firing of the large-size AA-7 Apex.
. The total number of MiG-23Ms produced was 1353 units. Of course, fine-tuning and modernization concerned not only weapons: the MiG-23M was in production for almost seven years, until 1978, a rather impressive period, during which its design and equipment also underwent a number of improvements and changes.
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The internal fuel volume of the MiG-23S and MiG-27 is 10,140 pounds (4,600 kg) or 1,265 gallons (5,750 l) and can be increased by suspending three 176-gallon (800 l) dump tanks. The total flight weight of the MiG-27 without external suspensions is 34,170 pounds (15,500 kg), which is closely comparable to the MiG-23S; the maximum take-off weight of the MiG-27 is 44312 pounds (20,100 kg) with 9920 pounds (4,500 kg) of external load in the form of six 1102-pound (500 kg) bombs and two 176-gallon (800 l) outboard fuel tanks.
In flight in the tropopause (the transitional layer of the atmosphere between the troposphere and the stratosphere is byakin) MiG-23 can briefly accelerate to a speed of M = 2.3 and at sea level without external pendants can fly at a speed of M = 1.1, with a practical ceiling It is about 60,000 feet (18,300 m). At the opposite end of the spectrum, the MiG-23 fighter features a take-off speed of 205 mph (330 km / h) and an approach speed of 174 mph (280 km / h), but there is reason to believe that with the wing in the minimum sweep position the overload coefficient is strictly limited, and the aircraft in this configuration cannot conduct air combat. With a full internal fuel supply and a fuel tank suspended from the pylon on the center line (and with the removal of most of the internal equipment), the MiG-23 in Reims took off after a run of 875 yards (800 m).
Modification: MiG-23MF
Wing span, m
- minimum: 7.78
-maximum: 13.97
Length, m: 16.71
Height, m: 4.82
Wing area, m2
-maximum: 37.27
minimum: 34.16
Weight kg
-empty: 10890
normal takeoff: 15700
- maximum take-off: 18400
-fuel: 4090
Engine Type: 1 x TRDF R-29-300
Thrust, kgf
afterburner: 1 x 12500
- maximum: 1 x 8300
Maximum speed, km / h
at sea level: 1350
- at high altitude: 2500
Ferry range, km: 2380
Practical range, km: 1450
Rate of climb, m / min: 11700
Practical ceiling, m: 17500
Max. operational overload: 8.0
Crew, people: 1
Armament: 1 x 23-mm gun GSh-23L (200 rounds of ammunition),
Combat load: 2000 kg at the nodes of the suspension - two medium-range missiles R-23R or R-23T, two or four short-range missiles R-3C, R-3R or K-13M, or R-60 melee missiles; guided missiles X-66 and X-23, NAR S-5, S-8 and S-24, free-falling bombs, one-time bomb cartridges and tanks with napalm weighing up to 500 kg.
The upgraded MiG-23M aircraft, equipped with such a wing, new equipment and an engine, as well as an additional fuselage fuel tank, made its first flight in June 1972 (test pilot A.V. Fedotov). The armament of the fighter, which had an advanced radar Sapphire-23 D, which made it possible to track targets against the background of the earth, giving it the look down shot down capability, the TP-23 IRST heat direction finder and the ASP-23D optical collimator sight, comprised medium-range missiles R-23R (semi-active radar guidance system) and R-23T ( IR homing), as well as with IR short-range homing K-13M. Subsequently, the MiG-23M aircraft received the world's first close combat missile, R-60 and R-60M, created under the leadership of M.R. Bisnovata and capable of starting when the fighter is maneuvering, up to to 7Gs, i.e. almost at the limit of the maneuverability of the aircraft. To defeat ground targets, the fighter was equipped with guided missile X-23, unguided missiles (NAR) and free-falling bombs with a caliber of up to 500 kg. The plane received a new autopilot and a control column with an automatic force control.
When the R-60M short range air to air missile development was completed by 1977. The launch of the R-60 was possible by the carrier aircraft at overloads of up to 7 units (i.e., using, in fact, the entire range of the fighter's maneuverability, up to the limit). The firing range in the rear hemisphere of the target was 10 km (15 km for the R-60M), the minimum range was 250-400 m - almost point-blank - with overloads of maneuvering targets up to 8G units. The launch of the R-60M could also be carried out in the forward hemisphere of the target. Shooting could be performed at any carrier flight speeds, up to the minimum evolutive one, and at any engine operating modes.
In 1973 A variant of the MiG-23M fighter, the MiG-23MS, was created with simplified on-board radio electronics (in particular, the Sapphire-21 radar) and armament, intended mainly for export deliveries.
Another export version of the MiG-23M, MiG-23MF (1977) had a more powerful radar.
MiG-23 of various modifications were equipped with a KM-1 ejection seat, a little later KM-ShiKM-3 seats began to be installed on fighter jets.
The MiG-23MF type supplied by the countries of the Warsaw Pact had an increase in cost in production cost thus a MiG-23MF costed about USD $5 million dollars, for this more modern modification. The release of the MiG-23MF (product 23-11MF), was started by the plant in 1978 as a "product 2MF". A total of 278 distinctive machines of this modification were produced as MiG-23MF. The product turned out not to be numerous and went in the same series as a poor commercial project, allowing the deliveries of the MiG-23M to the Soviet Air Force.