unit cost of F-16 A/C and Mig-23ML in 1990

The US pilot fought against the Russians? Or did he see enough CNN?

A USAF pilot was quoted saying “I hope they mass-produce the MiG-23 and export it everywhere. In that case, we won’t have to do much fighting. The Russians are going to kill themselves flying it.”

I very much doubt any MiG-23 could perform a 9G sustained turn which the F-16 could do at low altitudes. I think later MiG-23s were rated for 8.5G, earlier ones less than that.

For whatever reason Western pilots who had the opportunity to fly the thing (like the USAF’s Red Eagles) seemed to hate it despite remarking on its very impressive acceleration.

I want to remind you that the modifications of the MiG-23ML and MIG-23MLD were equal in maneuverability F-16

Well, as there probably aren’t any MiG-23 left flying (Angola?) around world – who cares?

http://xn--80aafy5bs.xn--p1ai/aviamuseum/aviatsiya/sssr/istrebiteli-2/istrebiteli-1960-g-1991-g/istrebiteli-okb-mikoyana-i-gurevicha/istrebitel-mig-23/mnogotselevoj-istrebitel-mig-23mld/

Really? 30 deg AoA and 9g?!

I want to remind you that the modifications of the MiG-23ML and MIG-23MLD were equal in maneuverability F-16

More like 5 or 6 if the Soviet Politbureau sufficiently likes you, your cause and your chances to put a spanner in the international imperialist capitalist machinery 😀 And like the Man said; quantity has a quality all of its own. 12 floggers tag teaming a pair of vipers would probably not end well for the vipers. Especially if they don’t rock AMRAAM.

thanks
so approx 3 xmig-23 ( 6 million each) can be bought for the price of 1x f-16 ( 18-20 million)?

MiG-23
The internal price of 2 – 2.5 million rubles
The external price of 3.6 – 6 million $

^ was it the migs from egypt ? that must be the mig-23MS

I been reading Red Eagles, about the secret squadron if MiG’s that the USAF had squirreled away at Tonopah. They consistently bemoan the -23’s horrible, terrible, awful flying qualities. They absolutely dreaded flying that thing in anything but a fast, straight line.

Im still just curious. What does a big hulking swing wing Mig 23 fighter/interceptor have to do with F-16’s ?

There is plenty in the US inventor to compare Mig 23’s to. Phantoms. Avadarks. Tomcats.

Not vey agile – like any other aircraft that’s heavily laden.

so in A2G missions they needed escorts ?
Like in Osirak raid ?

I meant the cost of Mig-23ML to domestic market i.e VVS or PVO

yes indeed f16 was a great multirole aircraft in the 80s, I wondered how agile it was when burdened with external loads when carrying out strike missions though ?

Not vey agile – like any other aircraft that’s heavily laden.

one MiG-23MS was released for $ 3.6-6.6 million. (depending on the degree of “friendly location” to the buyer country).

The above statement illustrates why a comparison is difficult. What version of MiG-23 are we talking about? MiG-23MS was an export monkey model. What “customer” are we talking about, i.e. level of friendliness.
Has the MiG-23 in a non-monkey-model version ever been sold to a non-puppet state? Prices among socialist brother states are pretty meaningless, as are rip-off sales to arab countries.

Whereas in the west, GD/LM probably charged the full amount to every customer.

Schrem

Yeah that’s kinda lame. Comparing top of the line F-16s to Mig 23’s.

The Soviet answer to f16 was Mig 29

this thread is set in the late 80s to 1990
large numbers of mig-23ml and mf confronted f-16A/C during this era
mig-29 was only in small numbers like 700 in VVS by 1989

Thanks Levsha
yes indeed f16 was a great multirole aircraft in the 80s, I wondered how agile it was when burdened with external loads when carrying out strike missions though ?

no just a simple comparison thats all
I personally think F-16A/C in the pre-AMRAAM era was a pretty overrated A2A fighter

Of course, the F-16 was always a multirole aircraft from the beginning – MiG-23, not so much.