View source for Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

{{Aircraft infobox
| name = Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
| image = MiG-23-red12.jpg
| caption = Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23. Photo: US military, Public domain, via [[commons:File:MiG-23-red12.jpg|Wikimedia Commons]]
| make = Mikoyan-Gurevich
| type = Fighter aircraft (M series), Fighter-bomber (B series)
| origin = Soviet Union
| first_flight = 10 June 1967
| produced = 1967–1985
| status = In limited service
| number_built = 5,047
| faa_registered = 3 (FAA register, October 30, 2026)
| seats = 1 sat on a Mikoyan KM-1M ejection seat
| engine = Khatchaturov R-35-300
| category = Military aircraft
}}

The '''Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23''' is a Soviet supersonic fighter with wings that swing forward and back in flight (variable sweep).<ref name="wp"/> With more than 5,000 built from 1969, it is the most-produced variable-sweep airplane in history, and some export customers still fly it.<ref name="wp"/> In the U.S. there are 3 with a valid registration, all two-seat MiG-23UB trainers.<ref name="faa"/>

== History ==
The MiG-23 first flew on June 10, 1967, and entered service in 1970.<ref name="wp"/> It was the first Soviet fighter with a look-down/shoot-down radar, the RP-23 Sapfir, and one of the first armed with missiles that could hit targets beyond visual range.<ref name="wp"/> It is a third-generation jet fighter, like the Su-17 of the same period.<ref name="wp"/> The ground-attack MiG-27 was built from it, with the radar nose replaced by a laser designator and TV camera.<ref name="wp"/> NATO called it "Flogger".<ref name="wp"/>

== Registered in the United States ==
The FAA register lists '''3''' of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.<ref name="faa"/>
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! FAA model name !! Registered
|-
| MIG-23UB || 3
|}
</div>

== Specifications (MiG-23MLD) ==
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable"
! Item !! MiG-23MLD
|-
| Crew || 1 sat on a Mikoyan KM-1M ejection seat
|-
| Length || 16.7 m
|-
| Wingspan || 13.965 m
|-
| Height || 4.82 m
|-
| Fuel || 4260 L internal with provision for up to 3x 800 L drop-tanks
|-
| Engine || Khatchaturov R-35-300 (afterburning turbojet)
|-
| Maximum speed || 2,500 km/h
|-
| Range || 1,900 km
|}
</div>
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.<ref name="wp"/>

{{Owner notes}}

== Photos ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170">
File:Cockpit Mig23 high resolution.jpg|Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23. Photo: Akpch, CC BY-SA 3.0
File:F-4J of VF-74 with Libyan MiG-23 over Gulf of Sidra 1981.jpg|Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23. Photo: U.S. Navy, Public domain
File:Royal Military Museum, Brussels - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger (11449005506).jpg|Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger. Photo: Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, CC BY 2.0
File:East German Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23ML (L– Lightweight) Flogger.jpg|East German Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23ML (L – lightweight) Flogger. Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 at MATI (4).JPG|Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23. Photo: Nockson, CC BY-SA 3.0
File:Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23 - NATO "Flogger" (24666623737).jpg|Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23 - NATO "Flogger". Photo: Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany, CC BY 2.0
</gallery>
All photos are from [[commons:Main Page|Wikimedia Commons]]; click a photo for its full credit and license.

== Buying a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 ==
{{For sale soon}}

== Sources ==
<references>
<ref name="wp">Wikipedia, "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-23 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23]", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.</ref>
<ref name="faa">Federal Aviation Administration, [https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/releasable_aircraft_download Releasable Aircraft Database], file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.</ref>
</references>