Forum: F-16 versus XYZ

I've read this article. (1). But it hasn't been coninfrmed that any of MiG-23MLDs was shot down. Secondly, V-VS's MiG-23MLDs did not have R-73 .
I read a lot about Syrian MiGs. In 1982 there were only MiG-23MSs and MiG-23MFs. MLD is slightly better than MF and MS. I agree that every F-16 would beat MiG-23M/MF/MS - despite of MF's and M's BVR capability
regards,

F-16.net Sponsor

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Well, Air-to-Air claims are always controversial and tricky.

In any case, Syrian's MLD would have been thoroughly studied by Israel Engineers in 1989.

Yes, but Syria didn't have MLD in 1982 in Lebanon...

There is an AIRFORCE MONTHLY article from Oct 2003, where the author cites a soviet manual how to handle F-15A, F-16A and Kfir in an export MiG-23ML.

It becomes quite clear that MiG-23 is a potent adversary as long it is not confronted with westerns state of the art.

CheckSix wrote:

There is an AIRFORCE MONTHLY article from Oct 2003, where the author cites a soviet manual how to handle F-15A, F-16A and Kfir in an export MiG-23ML.

It becomes quite clear that MiG-23 is a potent adversary as long it is not confronted with westerns state of the art.

Yep the article essentially recommends that only one quick pass be made against the F-16s and other advanced western fighters and not to engage in sustained dog fighting with these aircraft.

Just hope and pray that the Viper, Eagle, or AWACS didn't already see you on radar Wink

!

A little off topic...Here are a few photos I took of old Iraqi MiG 23's at Balad. I don't know what model they are though. Sadly, these planes look more like the cadillac ranch than an air force. Oh well, hope you enjoy.

Thanks for the pics Taco44! Sad to see aircraft in that condition, even if they are MiGs.

Nice pictures.

Are they Airworthy Twisted Evil

Probably about as airworthy as my car Wink

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I don't know about that parrothead, I think your car may break more ground than these bad boys. Razz

Well Here is the bandid again. A combat between F-16 and MiG-23MLD would be tricky.
In instant maneuvers The MiG appears more capable but time is on the Falcons side. A prolonged dogfight is an F-16's job in that case. I recall 1986 - era artcles that always shown MiG-23 vs F-16 combat as MiG-29 was still in early production.
On The other hand AA-8 is not inferior to Sidewinder as regards maneurerability. The problem is rather the range. There is another hint there. F-16 would rather be a winner in low altitudes but as altitude and velocities increase this would be more dificult.
The thing that makes the F-16 a winner is its perfect visibility. A MiG-23MLD would make a dash for the F-16 fire and go! All the other factors is with the Viper.

nikos wrote:

Well Here is the bandid again. A combat between F-16 and MiG-23MLD would be tricky.
In instant maneuvers The MiG appears more capable but time is on the Falcons side. A prolonged dogfight is an F-16's job in that case. I recall 1986 - era artcles that always shown MiG-23 vs F-16 combat as MiG-29 was still in early production.
On The other hand AA-8 is not inferior to Sidewinder as regards maneurerability. The problem is rather the range. There is another hint there. F-16 would rather be a winner in low altitudes but as altitude and velocities increase this would be more dificult.
The thing that makes the F-16 a winner is its perfect visibility. A MiG-23MLD would make a dash for the F-16 fire and go! All the other factors is with the Viper.

In agility the the F-16 always wins, the MiG-23`s only advantage it had, was in the 1970s and 1980s when it was armed with BVR missiles that the F-16 lacked, and in the 1980s when it carried the AA-11 that has a longer range than any AIM-9 then in production, so a MiG-23 flying fast and doing fast and quick long range dash attacks would had resulted in some victories, at Marii in the former USSR MiG-23s from soviet agressor units defeated MiG-29s from some traning units even having a fighter that was as good as the F-16, however let us note, the MiG-29 has not a very good BVR capability and early aircraft were plague by malfunctions.

The Israeli accounts always never mention and take into account the MiG-23`s IRST system that was inmune to jamming and the fact it could have been used to cue the AA-8 into its targets

kubam4a1 wrote:

The newest MiG-23MLDs from the latest 80s are have even got R-73 with helmet-mounted sight SZCZEL-3U - older version of Szczel-3UM mounted on MiG-29A. Together with their all-weather capabilities and strenght of R-73 - they would IMHO BEAT the F-16A/B (excepting the MLU and ADF)

You are wrong, the MiG-23MLD never got operational any AA-12 or HMS, the MiG-23 uses the R-73 that is true but never with a helmet mounted sight.

Let us keep things in perspective, the MiG-23 was designed before the Viet Nam War (1st flight 06/67), the F-14A and F-15A were both designed with lessons from that war in mind. Both of these fighters were designed to out maneuver and simply out fight all previous Soviet designed fighters. The YF-16 and YF-17 were desired to be more maneuverable at most dogfight speeds than the F-14A and F-15A.
The way the USN and Iranian F-14A's plus the way IDF/AF's F-15A's and F-16A's handled Iraqi and Syrian MiG-23's are a good example of how the fourth generation American fighters dominated the third generation Soviet fighters.

NUFF SAID!

Adrian

Forum: F-16 versus XYZ

MiG-23MLD vs F-16