foxbat155

According pdf you attached, initial serial AN/APG-66 were delivered in June 1978, for comparison RP-23 development started in 1964 and first production radar show up in 1969 with MiG-23 "model 1969" production (RP-23L).

I think that biggest weakness of this design was analog computer, probably much slower like digital, but this is radar from end of 60's so complaining is misplaced. F-16's radar is 10 years younger at least, and over that time digital techniques did big step forward. Lot of info in Osprey Dual 72 and many others is just bullshits, even today is hard to get access to full RP-23 documentation. R-24 had almost 50 km range ( not used in Iraq ), target like F-15 was tracked "head on" from distance 60 km ( at med and high altitude ), and one more thing: weapon system of MiG-23MLA is a combination of two systems - radar and IR, and basic metod was hidden observation by IR supported by special low profile radar mode. During tests IR was tracking aircrafts with afterburner typically from 90 km, kind of champion was MiG-25 when flown with afterburners, because TP-26 was able see her from 120 km.

I know this discussion and I know Mr.Detonator, we had lot of interesting discussions about MiG-21 and 23 on polish forums ( he is from Czech ). You only picked up one of this discussions points of view: which terminology is more correct - Western or Soviet, because in many cases both sides use the same words for differents things. According Soviet terminology RP-23 is a coherent pulse-doppler radar with external coherency. It's uses doppler filters to analyze/process signal, some people says that only radars with internal coherence can be called pulse-doppler but this is only matter of terminology. Technically this radar use doppler techniques only implemented different way, but without those techniques wasn't possible achieve development targets and because doppler filters playing here main role so radar is doppler-pulse.

Su-25 had weapon system taken from Su-17M3, which was development of system fitted in Su-17M2......:music_whistling: which was the same like in MiG-23B/BN so yes stuff from Su-25 is a bit more advanced. Photo of ASP-17 symbology, you have to be aware that MiG-23B have ASP-17, Su-25 have ASP-17BC which are very different devices which use the same optical head S-17VG : All MiG-23 variants had afterburner, difference was in engine types.

No, no any kind of DMT on MiG-23B/BN, this aircraft is from 1971....., Pepin yes this is little weird but MiG-23B/BN don't have AAM's, MiG-27 had them, Su-17 of any variant had them but B/BN don't.:joystick:

First: is hard call MiG-23B/BN weapon system a "Prnk". This abbreviation means "Navigation and aiming kompleks" and in Soviet terminology means attack and navigations devices connected in one system by central processing unit. In MiG-23B we don't have central computer so no "Prnk" but two separate navigation and attack systems connected by some funcionality. Two main electronic systems on MiG-23B's board are: Sokol-23 attack system ( Sokol-23S for MiG-23B and Sokol-23N for MiG-23BN ) and navigation kompleks KN-23. Sokol-23S had five main parts: shooting sight ASP-17 with optical head S-17VG and analog-digital processing unit, bombing sight PBK-3-23S, laser rangefinder "Fon" ("Background") and defence suite with SPO-10 RHAW, SPS-141 "Siren-1FSh" jammer, SB-1 "Barier"( "Barrier" or "Obstacle") radar location system and guided missiles system "Delta-N". System was working in 8 main modes for shooting ( canon, ffar) and bombing ( horizontal, dive and climb flights ). All modes can be use in automatic and manual mode, and part of them with target visible or not visible. Navigation kompleks KN-23 had: IKV inertial platform, doppler speed and drift angle radar DISS-7, V-144 analog computer, RSBN-6S and PRMG-4 aircraft's subsystems, PVD-18 air data system, DUA-3 AOA system, RV-5 radar altimeter and emergency ARK-10 or 15 system. KN-23 had possibilty to program 4 airfields and 3 route points, and 1 radio-orientation point. System is able work without ( autonomous mode ) or with radio correction from RSBN system. With SAU-23B AFCS is able do automatic route flight, return to airfield and landing up to 50-60 m altitude. MiG-23B/BN takes up to 3000 kg of weapons, have max range 3100 km (clean configuration plus 3 external fuel tanks, 10k altitude ), combat radius at 200 m altitude with 1000 kg bombs is 610 km, with 3000 kg - 400 km, max speed at 200 m with 1000 kg bombs - 1350 km/h, with 3000 kg - 1000km/h.

Overstratos have right, S-23 is doppler pulse radar, first of this class in Soviet Union. With MiG-25 situation is bit more complicated: first fighter variant MiG-25P had pulse radar RP-25A2 or A4 "Smierch", later variants MiG-25PD/PDS had scaled up variant of Flogger's N-003 called N-005 "Saphir"-25 (RP-25M or later MN). Only AA weapon for BN is canon, no AAM's on this variant.

During Soviet Union times only those 5 for Bulgaria. Weaponry for MiG-23ML/MLA according manual:

Only case when original MLD were exported during USSR existence was bulgarian case ( 5 aircraft swapped for 4 MiG-25 ). After Soviet Union collapse several used aircrafts withdrawn from service in former SU republics inventory were sold to Syria and Angola. According some sources few ex-Soviet MLD's were donated to Libya lately, but no photo evidence.

Yea, that's meters per second.

Yea, differences in aerodynamic capabilities between MiG-23's variants were quite big. Here few examples: AOA normal and stall limit (local AOA). Wing load and thrust/weight ratio. Climb speed. Acceleration from 600 to 1000 km/h. According russian sources during tests MiG-23MLD was able achieve 45 deg local AOA, normal service AOA safe limit was set to local 33 deg.

No, those are standard P-61-1 launchers for R60/60M family, over "oridinary" MiG-23ML/MLA those aircafts have only N-008E radar, R-24 missiles, SPO-15, and probably modernized KN-23-1 nav system instead standard KN-23, last aircrafts even maybe "Klistron" nav system but no photos of cockpits so this is hard to verificate.

Bulgarian MLAE2: Libyan MLAE2: and Syrian MLAE2: those aircrafts had radar called N-0008E what suggesting export variant ( E from экспортная what means for export ) of MLD's N-008, but for sure was downgraded in ranges, search angles and work speed: Instrument panel photo of libyan MLAE2: Most WP MiG-23MF even wasn't wired for R-60/R-60M family, in case of Polish AF only last batch had all equipment for them, all earliers had to be rebuilt later after 1985, no one export MiG-23ML hadn't R-60M in their weaponry, only oridinary R-60's, R-60M was sold abroad first time with MiG-29 exclusively, for countries like India or Yugoslavia started with 1986. So no one from WP countries, had in inventory short range all aspect dogfight missile before 1989 when MiG-29 showed up.

Bulgaria, like Syria and Libia, got export downgraded MLD's variant, which official name was MiG-23MLAE2 or "product 23-22" (no aerodynamical changes, no chaff/flare dispensers, heavilly downgraded radar, no R-73 missiles, extra SPO-15 in place of SPO-10), and later those five extra original full MLD's. How I know?. Because in first place Soviets wanted control those countries, not make them partners. Soviets were pushing WP countries to stop many local arms creating initiatives, trying to make them completely dependent on their own supplies. In every WP country Soviets had several military bases, so local forces reinforcement wasn't so important and Soviets always had equipment one generation forward. One example: R-60 ( not R-60M ) show up in Soviet inventory in 1973, in rest airforces of WP in 1985..........twelve years later. Every contract with USSR was one big unknown, you never know what you will get and with what standard. Great example are our Polish Su-22's, we got part of them without chaff/flare system because Soviets need them to quick equip their aircrafts and helicopters in Afganistan, they promised send them later but this never happend.

Soviets didn't had any intend to reinforce any WP army over any comfortable for them level. In 1982 Bulgaria bought three MiG-25RB and one MiG-25RU, but because those aircrafts were expensive in service and they had only four of them, and because economy problems in late 80's, those were swaped with USSR for five MiG-23 in 1991. At that moment Floggers were out of production ( end in 1985 ), and Soviets hads in service only MLD so this variant went for a swap. From original MLA's, only iraqi aircrafts were modernized with SPO-15 during Iran-Iraq war.

MiG-25RBT have general electronic recce system called SRS-13, this equipment don't have data link for data sending, whole recce info is recorded on magnetic tape. Variants like MiG-25RBK and RBF are equipped with more capable electronic recce systems and have data links.

Illumination bombs for ordinary films and infrared films without those bombs.

This is autopilot control panel, Peleng panel is on the right side wall of cockpit. Here on the photo you can see distance counter from Peleng's set.

When bombs fell in 600 m X 400 m area pilot had "very good" score in his flight book, but honestly this wasn't his success, everything was about target's localization accuracy, flight plan and nav computer programming quality, good technical nav systems condition, because everything was automatic, manual mode anticipating only fire button press by pilot, because the rest was automatic anyway....... .

Method described by you was in use only with S-5, S-24 and GSh-23, bombs in MiG-21 are dropped exclusively manually according drop tables and manual ASP settings.

Since Mig-23 (except MS variant) Soviet radars had automatic and manual work modes. During GCI guidance ground center was able sent info about target's position to fighter. If radar was set to automatic mode, then after receive this info, radar was able move antenna to this direction. When target was in appriopriate distance radar automatically changed mode to STT and was able prepare missiles (if those were in automatic mode as well). So GCI wasn't able directly control weapon system but signals from GCI were kind of triggers for automatics. So, in MiG-23 pilot was steering aircraft according commands from ground to some point in space, then depending on weapon system mode (auto or manual) air target attack was done by pilot or by radar's automatics. Some aircrafts like MiG-25, late Su-15, MiG-31, Su-27 had really expanded automatics and aircraft was able doo everything almost automatically, pilot just have to set parameters range like max speeds, altitude, switches and modes in right combinations, establish communication with GCI center etc. Whole procedure was complicated and not always enough elastic but Soviets loved GCI systems, had few types of them and perceived them as a very effective compare to typical voice over radio guidance. Soviet PVO had integrated in one system fighters and SAM's units and GCI was able choose between fighters or missiles use.

Well...…..nope. GCI system was automated, data link was automated, but autopilot wasn't. MiG-23MLA and MiG-23P have only one difference: data link device type, MLA had Lasoor, P had PVO's used system called 5P15 because WWS and PVO were separate air forces formations and were use different GCI systems. Autopilot from MiG-23 (whatever which variant) have only two automated modes: route flight according RSBN-6S, and landing approach according PRMG-5. This is very common misunderstanig what means by Soviets "automated GCI", first systems from late 50's and early 60's had a operator, person which was observing radar's scopes and manually was setting and sending commands to fighters by ARL. Later systems were automatized, GCI operator only have to assign target to fighter, choose tactics variant and all rest was calculated and sent by computers in GCI center. Like written before only MiG-25/31, later Su-15 and Su-27 had this capability.

MiG-23 wasn't able fly automatically according GCI commands, only semi-automatic or directive, pilot was steering plane according command on instruments. Aircrafts like MIG-25P/PD/PDS, Su-15T/TM, MiG-31, Su-27 are able doo intercept automatically without pilot's help ( except of course pressing trigger ).

SPO-10 had only two variants: pre 1972 and after 1972, but both have the same functionality, just part of electronic blocks were modernized in later one ( more service reliable). System was produced in two sets: "light" for tactical aviation, and "full" for heavy machines like bombers, transport aircrafts etc. Yak-28, Tu-16 had SPO-3 ( SPO-10's direct predecessor), Su-7 all variants had SPO-2.

Both situations are correct, many late Soviet's aircrafts were flying with dismantled mud guards ( simmilar situation was with single seat aircrafts ), generally almost all export aircrafts were flying with those guards, why those mud guards were dismantled in late service? don't know, but probably reason wasn't any serious one, I'm sure that all new aircrafts had them, just later on many was dismantled.