R-23R/T Medium-range air-to-air missiles

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NATO reporting name: AA-7 Apex
Αlso known as: R-24

The design of the R-23 missile with a semi-active radar guidance system (RGS-23) began in the mid-60s, by the GosMKB "Vympel" design bureau.

Its development was continuing when an AIM-7E Sparrow missile in very good condition was brought to Moscow from a when the was shot down F-4 Phantom, which crashed into the sea near Haifona in November 1967. The missile was thoroughly studied and an accurate copy of it, in terms of shape, which was called R-25. But then it was abandoned and the R-23/R-24 missile was preferred. In 1973, the first MiG-23M aircraft units, with "Sapfir-23P" radars armed with R-23 missiles, in began to arrive in the Soviet arsenal.

The R-23 missile maintained superiority over all other missiles in its class for a decade in technology, effectiveness, resistance to countermeasures, and ability to engage targets flying at very low altitudes. The minimum target engagement height was 40 m and reached up to 25 km. Then there were two sub-versions of the missile one with infrared guidance and one with semi-active guidance.

Technical specifications