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MiG-23MS Flogger-E
The MiG-23MS Flogger-E is an overlooked MiG-23 variant that gave this family its poor reputation. Nevertheless, this aircraft variant has been involved in numerous historic conflicts and some might even still be fighting today. I believe it deserves to be in the game due to its extensive service record.
History:
The MiG-23MS was a stripped-down, export-oriented “monkey model” variant of the MiG-23MF, which itself is a Warsaw Pact export model of the MiG-23M. MiG-23MS was designed specifically for third-world clients, particularly those aligned with the Soviet Union or seeking to bolster their air forces without gaining access to Moscow’s most advanced technology. Countries like Egypt, Syria, Libya, and Iraq received the MS, and it quickly found itself thrust into real combat.
In the hands of these operators, the MiG-23MS was frequently pitted against better-equipped Western or Western-aligned aircraft. Its rudimentary onboard systems made it poorly suited for the fluid air battles of the late Cold War. In combat, particularly in the Middle East, the MS often struggled to hold its own. Syrian MiG-23MS fighters, for instance, were badly outclassed by Israeli F-15s and F-16s during the 1982 Lebanon War, and Iraqi examples had mixed success against Iranian fighters during the long and brutal Iran–Iraq War.
On this image the Uniform Camo Scheme can be clearly visualized from above.
Egypt, once one of the aircraft’s early operators, quickly grew disillusioned with the MiG-23MS. The aircraft’s limitations became painfully clear, and after Egypt realigned itself politically and militarily toward the West in the late 1970s, it sold some of its MiG-23MS fleet to both the United States and China. This gave both nations an opportunity to study the aircraft in detail. Libya, another notable user, also passed on some of its MiG-23MS fighters to Sudan. Incredibly, some of these airframes have reportedly been refurbished in recent years and may still be flying. Despite their age and obsolescence, the MiG-23MS has proven to be a stubborn survivor.
Operation:
The MiG-23MS was, in many ways, less a fighter in the modern sense and more of a manned missile, fully reliant on ground control intercept (GCI) stations for situational awareness and vectoring toward its targets. Without GCI guidance, the aircraft was effectively blind. It lacked a capable radar system, and thus the pilot had to depend heavily, if not entirely, on visual identification and tracking once separated from ground guidance. In combat, this meant the aircraft was often simply pointed toward the general vicinity of an intruder, with the expectation that it would close the distance and engage using its limited onboard systems and whatever missiles it carried.
This is the Constant Peg MiG-23MS cockpit.
Unlike more advanced variants like the MiG-23MLD or even the MiG-23M, which could engage maneuvering targets at all aspects, and at longer ranges using improved radar and more agile weapons like the R-60, the MiG-23MS was hamstrung by its legacy tech. It could not effectively track or engage maneuvering targets, especially those at low altitude or flying evasively.
Details:
In short, MiG-23MS is a “MiG-23M equipped with weapons systems of a MiG-21S.” It was equipped with an older RP-23SM radar. It had no IRST. The RP-22SM was primarily designed for clear, unobstructed airspace and struggled in cluttered environments or against low-flying targets. As a result, the MS is physically distinguishable from the MiG-23M by its smaller nose cone.
The MiG-23MS should not be confused with the MiG-23S. The MiG-23MS had the airframe of the MiG-23M that fixed a lot of issues that were found on the S. The MiG-23S was notoriously unreliable and widely regarded as a poor-performing aircraft, even in comparison to the MiG-23MS. As such, it should be treated as a separate suggestion.
The MiG-23MS came with a weaker earlier engine Tumansky R-27F2M-300 compared to the MiG-23M’s R-29-300. HOWEVER, the weight of the nose is lighter by ~450kg rounded. Meaning it might have an empty weight of 10,395kg. This did have a seemingly positive impact on its flight performance. Due to lighter weight nose, the take-off performance was “breathtaking”, according to a Soviet pilot.
It had more fuel, due to having additional internal fuel tanks than on the M, with total internal fuel availability of 5626 liters. + ~578kg of fuel compared to the MiG-23M. Giving it an extended ferry range with external fuel tanks at ~3,152 km. with ~1,616 km being its combat radius. “The MiG-23MS had the largest internal fuel capacity of any MiG-23 fighter variant.” “It could hang in the air more than anyone.” However, it is not known if the ballast weight was added or not. Provided there is no ballast. Calculations suggest that the top speed of the MS should be +30km/h faster at sea level than the MiG-23M. Also, it comes with a +4.9m/s rate of climb, provided the MiG-23M had 222m/s. These are my personal calculations based on the source linked below, the exact specifications for the MiG-23MS are hard to come by.
Loadout:
The original Air to Air armament of the aircraft consisted of 4x R-3Ss in total. According to Tom Cooper the aircraft could deploy R-3Rs in tail chase engagements, however the ability to use this missile is disputed by alternative sources as the radar was a downgrade compared to what was used on the MiG-21S and MiG-21Bis.
Some customers later modified the Aircraft to carry R-13Ms, a more modern and capable heat-seeking missile derived from the R-3S. HOWEVER, using R-13Ms from under the fuselage caused engine problems, so only under-wing pylons were modified to carry R-13Ms. The introduction of the R-13M improved the MiG-23MS’s odds. With this weapon, the aircraft did manage to score a few kills, proving that it could be deadly. Still, these successes were the exception rather than the rule. The first confirmed kill by a MiG-23MS was against an IRIAF Northrop F-5E Tiger II, which was shot down using an R-13M missile.
Although not yet implemented in the game, the R-13M has been suggested: Vympel R-13M - The Initial Step Forward
2x R-13M along with 2x R-3S can be seen on this MiG-23MS.
Ironically, while the MiG-23MS was marketed as the ‘next-generation’ solution for allied air forces, the Soviets were simultaneously exporting MiG-21 variants armed with the R-13M missile, yet withheld that same missile from the MiG-23MS.
The MiG-23MS’s air-to-ground armament consisted primarily of unguided rockets and free-fall bombs, with 4x UB-16-57 rocket pods loaded with S-5 rockets being a particularly common loadout for anti-tank missions. In this role, its capabilities were broadly similar to those of the MiG-23BN, though the MS lacked the ability to mount stores on the tail fuselage pylons, limiting its payload options somewhat. Despite being an air-superiority variant in theory, the MiG-23MS was often pressed into ground-attack duties alongside the more specialized MiG-23BN, especially in conflicts such as those in Chad. It’s unlikely the MS was ever equipped with guided munitions, as such weapons were typically reserved for either more advanced or dedicated strike variants.
The MiG-23MS had NO countermeasures in its standard form, although it is said that some customers later added them to the aircraft with and without Soviet help.
If added to War Thunder, the MiG-23MS should at minimum be equipped with two R-13M missiles, and possibly even R-3Rs to reflect its late-service upgrades. The lack of countermeasures could be retained, making it uniquely disadvantaged among MiG-23 fighter variants, in line with the MiG-23BN. If it were introduced with only R-3Ss and no countermeasures, it would be an incredibly comedic scene. As for the BR rating well that’s up to the developers to figure out.
Paint Schemes:
Visually, the MiG-23MS was remarkably uniform across its export customers. Nearly all aircraft were delivered in the same standardized camouflage pattern, an olive-brown-and-sand desert scheme ideal for the arid environments many of these nations operated in. The only real variations came down to national insignia and flags, which were simply swapped out depending on the recipient.
The Standard Scheme.
There were a few exceptions. Soviet evaluation examples sometimes featured different paint schemes, and the single MiG-23MS used by the United States during Operation Constant Peg wore a unique finish suited to its aggressor role. When China acquired its aircraft via Egypt, they didn’t even bother with a full repaint, they just slapped patches over the Egyptian roundels, leaving the original scheme untouched. The Sudanese took a similar approach with their MiG-23MS fleet. After receiving hand-me-downs from Libya, they simply painted over the Libyan markings, which later became visible again as the paint aged and weathered. However, modern refurbished versions of the Sudanese jets have a properly applied unique paint scheme.
The Soviet Scheme.
Implementation
This aircraft could plausibly be added to multiple national tech trees, as previously discussed. However, it’s worth noting that the Soviets retained a small number of MiG-23MS units in training roles right up until the end of the Cold War. One pilot who gave a performance account reported flying an example that was painted in a Middle Eastern-style camouflage, though he wasn’t certain why that particular aircraft was still present at their base. Tom Cooper has published a drawing of what he believes to be the Soviet-specific camouflage scheme for these jets, and it’s possible that this is what the pilot was referring to, as they both look like they belong in the desert.
So, while the MiG-23MS was primarily an export model, there’s a solid argument for it to be included in the Soviet tech tree in War Thunder. Perhaps add the Standard Scheme as a purchasable option without the national markings and let the players put what ever flags or roundels they wish to see on these aircraft. Then again, as always, that decision ultimately lies with the developers.
Specifications for MiG-23MS:
“Overall the MiG-23MS had poor weapons (R-3S, R-3R & R-13M at best), structural problems limiting the maximum load factor, crude flight controls, poor roll-yaw stability at high AoA (all of these giving hard-wing Phantom levels of maneuverability at best), bad visibility out of the cockpit… Its only redeeming features were high speed & supersonic acceleration.”
Dimensions:
- Length: ~16.50 meters (54.8 feet).
- The aircraft came with a smaller, potentially slightly shorter nose cone.
- Wingspan:
- Spread (16° sweep): 13.97 meters (45.8 feet).
- Swept (72° sweep): 7.78 meters (25.5 feet).
- Height: 4.82 meters (15.8 feet).
- Wing Area: 37.35 m² (402 square feet) at minimum sweep.
Weight:
- Empty Weight: Approximately ~10,395 kg.
- The shorter nose cone and downgraded radar reduced the empty weight slightly compared to the MiG-23M.
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: ~16,250kg
- Fuel Capacity: ~ 5626 liters internal, with external fuel tank options.
Performance:
- Engine: 1 × Tumansky R-27F2M-300 turbojet.
- Thrust: 14,320 lbf dry, 22,045 lbf with afterburner.
- Maximum Speed:
- At altitude: ~Mach 2.35 (~2,500 km/h or 1,600 mph).
- At sea level: ~Mach 1.13 (~1,380 km/h or 857.5 mph).
- Range:
- Combat Radius: ~1,616 km (~1,004 miles) with internal fuel.
- Ferry Range: ~3,152 km (~1,958 miles) with external fuel tanks.
- Service Ceiling: 17,800 meters (58,400 feet).
- Rate of Climb: ~226.9 m/s (44,657 feet per minute).
*The MiG-23MS has a weaker engine than the MiG-23M, however is a tiny bit lighter.
Armament:
- Guns: 1 × GSh-23L 23mm twin-barrel cannon with 200 rounds.
- Hardpoints: 5 total (2 under fuselage, 2 under wings, 1 centerline).
- Air-to-Air Missiles:
- R-3S (AA-2A “Atoll”) infrared-guided missiles.
- R-13M (AA-2C “Advanced Atoll”) missiles.
- R-3R (AA-2B “Atoll”) SAHR missiles. DISPUTED.
- Air-to-Ground Munitions:
- Unguided rockets.
- Free-fall bombs.
- External Fuel Tanks: Up to 3 tanks for extended range.
- Countermeasures: None
*Flare and chaff dispensers were not typically installed on the MiG-23MS. However, customers later added them on.
*R-13Ms were only approved to be carried on the underwings pylons to avoid engine malfunctions.
Avionics:
- Radar: RP-22SM
- Detection Range: ~18 km (9.8 nm).
- Tracking Range: ~11 km (6 nm).
- RWR: SPO-3 Sirena-3
- IRST: None
- Look-Down/Shoot-Down: None
Sources:
Tom Cooper. (2018). MiG-23 Flogger In The Middle East. Helion & Company Limited.
Kenneth Pollack. (2019). Armies of Sand. OUP USA.
1.0 Fighter Floggers. Available at: [1.0] Fighter Floggers
Yefim Gordon. (2005). MiG-23/27 Flogger: Soviet Swing-Wing Fighter/Strike Aircraft. Midland Publishing.
Mihai Valceleanu. (2024). Was the Worst MiG-23 so terrible? Hush-kit . Available at: Was the worst MiG-23 so terrible? | Hush-Kit
MiG-23MS. [Уголок неба ¦ Микоян,Гуревич МиГ-23МС] (Уголок неба ¦ Микоян,Гуревич МиГ-23МС) Note this source claims the engine is that of the MiG-23M, which is disputed by numerous other sources.
Oryx. Back from the Dead: Sudan Overhauls MiG-23s. Available at: Back From The Dead: Sudan Overhauls MiG-23s - Oryx
Military Turbojet/Turbofan Specifications. Available at: Military Turbojet/Turbofan Specifications
DCS Forum: DCS: MiG-23MLA by RAZBAM - Page 7 - RAZBAM - ED Forums
Additional source 1: MiG-23MS (Flogger E) :: Ruslet
Additional source: 2: https://mikoyanmig29.wixsite.com/mig-23flogger/mig-23m
Additional Gallery:
A US MiG-23MS with Operation Constant Peg.
A crashed Lib…Sudanese MiG-23MS.
A Modern Sudanese MiG-23MS.
A Chinese MiG-23MS in a Chinese Aviation Museum.