Developing and mass-producing a warplane is a particularly complex and winding endeavor in itself, but during the Cold War, politics, bureaucracy, and budgetary restraints further muddled the process. Still, with aircraft design, the potential for failure lurks behind every corner.
While Russia is known for its powerful fighter jets such as the Su-35 and Su-57, the old Soviet Union had top-tier fighters that were tarnished with a questionable reputation decades ago.
The MiG-23 was the Soviet response to American and European third-generation fighters, replacing the aging MiG-21.
However, with a poor safety record, a mixed combat history, and an unfortunately flying reputation, many people, especially from the Western world, consider the MiG-23 as the Russian Air Force’s worst fighter in history.
Still, the nation stands by its Mach-2 capable aircraft with a groundbreaking design, long range, and nuclear-weapon capability, giving it a side role that might have improved its performance…
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Referencing a recent “Paper Skies” docco, if I’m not mistaken the cadre at the Soviet “top gun” program at Marii used Mig-23’s and consistently owned their students, even those equipped with the Mig-29’s and SU-27’s. That suggests to me that this aircraft in the right hands was more than effective and that it’s poor reputation is perhaps not a good measure.
I remember watching (1982 on morning news) footage of MiG-23s falling out of the sky over Lebanon. F-15s and F-16s were eating the 23's lunch.
Mig27,…r known as,…Bahadur,….not Mig23. Lol
The worse Russian plane was the Yak 141 that reversed engineered into the F35.
I like this plane; it looks cool and tough, with that massive landing gear that reminds me a bit of the SEPECAT Jaguar.
sat in one… not impressed…
That would be every fighter !
Worst Russian fighter? That's a tough one because the majority of them are god awful machines. the Su-35 is already a train wreck. So is the Su57 and on the horzion the Su75 Checkmate which is already a failure. far worse than the F35 and J20.
Flogger was still the best 3rd gen. It had a better gun than the phantom. It had one of the first working BVR missiles. It was capable of GCI intercept which the phantom couldn't do.
Really? Worse than the Yak 38 which had an absolutely atrocious service history?
I thought this was going to be about the average russian conscript.
1:27 – I think you probably meant to say "successor to the MiG-21," not MiG-23.
Leave it to Russia and the soviets to make POS equipment….. like everything, not just planes. Stick with potato Putin 🥔
But was it as bad as the American F 104?
AK-47 of aircraft
I think I seen a seen line on some news channel where russia/putin was boasting to sell his latest tech weapons of war. It is so far advanced.
1:24 ".. developing a successor to the Mig-23.."
→ maybe you mean "to the Mig21"
You call this the worst aircraft when the Yak Forget exists?
Flogger? I thought this was a video of the video game FROGGER. FJB
the mig 23 is sub good the mig 27 ass sold ASS
The MiG23 was an interceptor not a fighter, big differences !
Friend of mine from high school went in the air force in the 80's and they tracked a mig23 as it flew from Poland over east Germany then entered west Germany. When fighters were scrambled they observed it had no pilot ( he had ejected but the plane kept flying). It ended up running out of fuel and crashing into a house on the border of France and Belgium.