Mikoyan MiG-23

The MiG-23, NATO name Flogger, is a single-engined, variable-sweep wing fighter of the third jet generation, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau in the Soviet Union alongside rivals such as the Su-17. It was the first Soviet fighter with a look-down, shoot-down radar, the RP-23 Sapfir, and one of the first armed with beyond-visual-range missiles. Production began in 1969 and passed 5,000 aircraft, making it the most produced variable-sweep wing aircraft in history. The design also gave rise to the MiG-27 ground-attack aircraft. It remains in limited service with some export customers, while Russia and several European operators retired their MiG-23s from the late 1990s.