- Yes
- No
- Tech Tree
- Premium
- Squadron
- Event/Gift
- I don’t want it added
Background
Following the introduction of the MiG-23S, it was realized that it still could not live up to expectations. Due to complications with the RP-23 radar, the RP-22SM radar had to be substituted in its stead. This meant that the new aircraft could not utilize the missiles designed for it, the R-23s. As the R-23s were able to be guided only by the RP-23, the use of the RP-22SM meant that the MiG-23S was limited to the R-3S and variants.
However, by 1980, the initial production issues with the RP-23 were mostly mitigated and the mass-production of the radar commenced. Together with the radar, a new MiG-23 variant was also ordered, both to house the new radar and to correct some deficiencies that had been found on the MiG-23S.
This new variant of the RP-23 was designated the RP-23L, and correspondingly the new MiG-23 was contemporarily known as the MiG-23L. While a decent radar, it still did not have the main capability that was being aimed for: Look Down-Shoot Down. Due to reliability issues, the RP-23L was unable to LD/SD past a small range in front of the aircraft; for practical purposes, it could not do it.
Besides the RP-23L, the MiG-23L was also fitted with the TP-23 IRST and ASP-23D gunsight/HUD that would be found on following MiG-23 variants. Solutions to the previous MiG-23S issues of wing loading resulted in the new Edition 2 wings, increasing wing area by 20% from the initial wings (now called Edition 1). The wing sweep angles were changed to 18°, 47°, and 74°; although for convenience both the instruments and the manuals retained the original sweep angles of 16°, 45°, and 72°. These wings were fitted with a dogtooth design and were tested with slats, but these slats were removed due to manufacturing complications. Wing load was increased to ~7G before critical failure. However, these changes to the wings meant the already bad problems of slow-speed instability were made worse. The engine was an R-27F2-300, producing 67.62kN of thrust dry and 98kN of thrust when afterburning.
Only about 80 of these aircraft were produced, and many would be modernized to MiG-23M standard later in life. Of those that survived, most were retained for training purposes.
Specifications
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Note | Estimations from MiG-23M | |
| Length | 16.6m (54ft 10in) | |
| Wingspan | 13.97m (45ft 10in) spread | 7.78m (25.52ft) wing folded |
| Height | 4.82m (15ft 10in) | |
| Engines | 1 x R-27F2-300 | 67.62kN non-afterburning |
| 98kN afterburning | ||
| Empty Weight | 10,200kg (22,487lbs) | |
| Fuel Capacity | ? | Unclear |
| Hardpoints - 4 + 3 | 2 under-wing & 2 under-fuselage | + 2 Wing & 1 Centerline Tank Hardpoints |
Ordnance
| Ordnance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal | |||
| GSh-23L | 200 23mm rounds | ||
| Air-to-Air | |||
| IR | |||
| R-3S | |||
| R-13M | Can be expanded to R-13M1 if necessary | ||
| R-23T | |||
| Radar | |||
| R-3R | Unclear | ||
| R-23R | |||
| Air-to-Ground | |||
| Bombs | |||
| FAB-100 | (GP/Frag) | ||
| FAB-250 | (GP/Frag/Parachute-Retarded) | ||
| FAB-500 | (GP/Frag/Parachute-Retarded) | ||
| ZB-500 | (Napalm) | ||
| RBK-500 | (Cluster) | ||
| Rockets | |||
| S-5 | FFAR | ||
| S-24 | |||
| Missile | |||
| Kh-23 | Kh-23M not avaliable | ||
| Other | |||
| Delta-NG | Targeting Pod for Kh-23 | ||
| 800L Tank | Centerline and dedicated underwing only |
| Avionics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radar | RP-23L “Sapfir-23L” | Incapable of LD/SD due to reliability issues |
| IRST | TP-23 | |
| RWR | SPO-10M | |
| HUD | ASP-23D | |
| CM | PKWP-23 | Dual use CM dispenser and fuel tank hardpoint |
Conclusion
This would be a good plane to add as a USSR equivalent to the F-4C. In the past that was the early models of MiG-21, but I think that in the current environment the MiG-23L would be a much better pick for the role.
This MiG-23 was known as,
- MiG-23 Edition 1971
- MiG-23SM
- MiG-23 Obr. 1971
- MiG-23L (Denoting the Sapfir-23L radar)
I picked MiG-23L for the name here because I just think it looks the nicest. Unlike either the Edition 1971 or Obr. 1971, it would be easier to read and understand if looking at a killfeed and when typing in chat, and I think that would be better. MiG-23SM, on the other hand, is too easy to get confused with the partly related but completely different MiG-23MS, which is likely to be added someday.
There was a version that was fitted with R-25s, essentially a cloned AIM-7E, but that is not the version I am suggesting. I think that version specifically should not be in the tech tree, due to the R-25s role being taken by the R-23R already present. While it could offer a change of pace from the R-23R, I think that would be better suited on a squadron vehicle or the like.
Overall I think this would be a good aircraft to add. It would provide a reasonable equal to the F-4C and other early 3rd Gen aircraft that lack a PD radar. I wouldn’t say it is equal to the F-4E, mostly because the F-4E has AIM-9Js, and the MiG-23L would be unable to use the counter R-60 or R-60M as they had not been developed yet.
Sources
Wikipedia - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 - First Generation
Ru.Wikipedia - MiG-23
Ru.Wikipedia - Sapfir-23 Radar
Aircraft Wiki - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
PlaneHistoria - MiG-23
Nuke.Fas - MiG-23
GlobalAircraft - MiG-23
MilitaryFactory - MiG-23
Armedman - Frontline Fighter MiG-23
MikoyanMiG29 - MiG-23M
Airvectors - MiG-23L
Old-Forum.WarThunder - MiG-23 Thread
OneSpotter - MiG-23L