MiG-23BN (Germany)

This page is about the strike aircraft MiG-23BN (Germany). For other versions, see MiG-23 (Family).

◊MiG-23BN

◊IL-28

◊MiG-23BN

◊IL-28

Germany

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.0	9.7	9.7

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:220 000

Purchase:620 000

Description

Following adoption of the MiG-23B ground-attack variant of the MiG-23, Mikoyan OKB quickly set out to modernize and upgrade the aircraft where possible. The first of these many upgrades was the MiG-23BN variant, with the main difference being the usage of the Type 3 wings of the MiG-23ML and an upgraded variant of the R-29 engine. The BN variant saw almost no use with the Soviets, instead being a very popular export model to both Warsaw Pact and Third World customers. During the mid-late '70s, the East German airforce received 18 MiG-23BNs, especially modified by removal of the dielectric fairings, and received without any countermeasure dispensers. These aircraft would serve in the forefront of the ground attack roles alongside the Su-22 aircraft used by the East German air force.

The ◊MiG-23BN (NATO: Flogger-H) is a dedicated ground attack variant of the MiG-23, introduced in Update "Drone Age" to the German tech tree. It lacks any form of countermeasures, guided ordnance, or air-to-air missiles, but do not let this deter you, as in air battles, the aircraft is not only very versatile and fast (having the flight performance of the MiG-23s at a far lower battle rating), but with the ability to take gunpods and outrun almost every enemy it faces, it is a force to be reckoned with when used in the fighter role at its battle rating. The aircraft also shines in mixed battles, where it can use its ballistic computer to accurately rain bombs and small-calibre rockets over a wide area, or precisely pick enemy tanks off using the powerful S-24B rockets, accurately aimed using the CCIP computer. All in all, the MiG-23BN is an aircraft that appears bad on paper at first and turns away many players, but those who truly master its playstyle in both air and ground battles are heftily rewarded with a very fearsome aircraft.

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 13 000 m2 200 km/h

Turn time36 s

Max altitude15 000 m

EngineTumansky R-29B-300

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight20 t

At first glance, aside from having the LSK's emblem (East German Air Force), the MiG-23BN looks exactly like any other Flogger. A closer inspection on its nose gives its identity away: as an attacker, MiG revised the nose with a flat bottom for the B variants; but the BN removed the optical equipment for this exact job. Since it was based on the first-generation MiG-23 but with a R-29B-300 engine, the overall flight performance is very similar to the MiG-23M in the Soviet tech tree but without AAMs. Experienced players might take the use of its iconic variable swept wing for dogfights, but do keep in mind that a major problem of these 1st generation Floggers were exactly the wings, it might be sufficient to take down heavier jets like Phantoms if utilized the wings well, but having only guns for air-to-air operations makes it a huge target for other jets. Any extra ordnance ranging from bombs up to AGMs affects the flight model severely, so utilize its speed in missions and avoid dogfights unless in dire situation.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at 13,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2,182	2,172	15000	36.6	37.0	132.5	125.5	750
Upgraded	2,220	2,200		35.4	36.0	179.3	155.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
X	✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits	Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
			Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
Min sweep	1,154	630	N/A	508	473	~__	~__
Max sweep	1,417		N/A	N/A	N/A	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 665	< 650	< 700	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Tumansky R-29B-300		1	11,305 kg		___ kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		11m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	39m fuel
1,780 kg	Afterburning axial-flow turbojet		12,666 kg	13,612 kg	14,765 kg	15,835 kg	18,905 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	11m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	39m fuel	MGW
Stationary	7,950 kgf	10,208 kgf	0.81	0.75	0.69	0.64	0.54
Optimal	8,282 kgf (1,417 km/h)	12,633 kgf (1,400 km/h)	1.00	0.93	0.86	0.80	0.67

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear630 km/h

The MiG-23BN has only a pair of 16 mm steel plates on the side of the cockpit as extra protection against other targets. If it has to commit to a head-on fight or even a dogfight, it might not have sufficient survivability to leave the combat in one piece.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 852 → 4 146

RB8 769 → 12 750

SB9 632 → 14 004

Total cost of modifications197 000

305 000

Talisman cost2 700

Crew training175 000

Experts620 000

Aces2 600

Research Aces1 010 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 310 / 600 %

226 / 226 / 226 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 New boosters Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 Wings repair Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 430 Engine Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 570	Fuselage repair Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 Airframe Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 G-suit Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 430 Cover Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 570	ns23_belt_pack Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 ZB-500 Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 UB-32 Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 340 ns23_new_gun Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 OFAB-100 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 B-8M1 Research: 8 800 Cost: 14 000 390 Gun pod UPK-23-250 Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 430 FAB-250 Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 430 S-24 Research: 9 800 Cost: 15 000 430 EFS Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 570 FAB-500 Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 570 Kh-23M Research: 13 000 Cost: 20 000 570

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)

Offensive armament

The MiG-23BN (Germany) is armed with:

• 1 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannon, belly-mounted (200 rpg)

Suspended armament

The MiG-23BN (Germany) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg)	1						1
100 kg OFAB-100 bombs	4	1	4		4	1	4
250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs	1, 2	1	1		1	1	1, 2
500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs	1, 2	1	1		1	1	1, 2
ZB-500 incendiary bombs	1		1		1		1
S-5K rockets	16, 32		16, 32		16, 32		16, 32
S-8KO rockets	20		20		20		20
S-24B rockets	1		1		1		1
Kh-23M missiles	1						1
800 l drop tanks				1
Maximum permissible loadout weight: 3,050 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 750 kg

Default weapon presets

1 x 800 l drop tank 2 x Kh-23M missiles 64 x S-5K rockets 128 x S-5K rockets 80 x S-8KO rockets 4 x S-24B rockets 8 x 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs (800 kg total) 18 x 100 kg OFAB-100 bombs (1,800 kg total) 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs (1,000 kg total) 6 x 250 kg FAB-250M-62 bombs (1,500 kg total) 4 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (2,000 kg total) 6 x 500 kg FAB-500M-62 bombs (3,000 kg total) 4 x ZB-500 incendiary bombs 2 x 23 mm GSh-23L cannons (250 rpg = 500 total)

Usage in battles

For players who jumped from the subsonic G.91 R/3 into the MiG-23BN, not only it is supersonic and goes up to mach 2.0, it also carries as much ordnance as its TT predecessor IL-28. For players of MiG-27 or MiG-23 variants, the flight performance is very similar as they were built under similar airframe but with some revision differences per blocks (batches). Some players might want to take it for a dogfight for its manoeuvrability as well as the variable swept-wing; but as an attacker, it doesn't have any AAM at disposal, the only viable option is the 23 mm gun for gunning down enemy jets with its fast rate of fire and sufficient damage. Additional 23 mm cannons can be mounted as wing-mount gunpods. The MiG-23BN doesn't have countermeasures either, the airframe is also rather unprotected other than 2 steel plates on the sides of the cockpit, so avoid enemies at all cost and only fight enemies when there's only one of them- any more than this number means the MiG-23BN will become an easy prey for the enemies due to its enormous size.

High-altitude bombing

For the reasons mentioned above, dogfights should be completely avoided in Air RB and Combined Battles. Instead, in a contested airspace such as Air RB, the MiG-23BN excels as a high-altitude bomber. The two loadouts recommended for this are either 6 x 500 kg bombs (roughly 1.5 bases' worth) or 16 x 100 kg and 2 x 500 kg bombs (1.33 bases' worth, but gives higher rewards). With the latter, the optimal drop order is either 2 drops first for a third of a base, then the rest for a full hp one, or 12 "drops" first (which coincides with a preset bomb series) for a whole base, and the rest for a third of one.

After takeoff, maintaining a 10-15° climb allows the jet to reach a 9,000 m altitude before encountering the enemy. Pilots should watch for condensation trails from the enemy's direction, as that means that an enemy fighter is also climbing to a high altitude. If no support is available, avoid the area until the hostile engages someone else. After reaching 9-10,000 m, fully extending the wings allows the plane to maintain the altitude without afterburner when in a 3-5° climb. Disengaging the afterburner greatly reduces the range enemy missiles can achieve a lock-on. It is recommended to wait until the bases have respawned at least once, as the bombs can take more than 40 seconds to hit the target, and are easily wasted if a teammate takes out the base.

Once the teammates are returning to base, the CCRP target selector can be used to align the plane with a base, then, holding the bomb series key (with the series set to 4 or 12) and maintaining level flight, allows the bombs to accurately hit the target (With Weapon Maintenance maxed out, the bombs should have near 100% accuracy). Alternatively, a dive can be used to align the bomb indicator and drop manually.

It is not recommended to return to base in a dive, as the plane can destroy itself due to its excessive speed. Keeping the altitude change positive completely avoids this and allows for a greater speed to be maintained.

Combined battles

Relative to its BR, it is a very fast attacker in-game (only slower than its Sukhoi counterpart) and the payload is sufficient to deal devastating damage to enemies. It might not be as much as USAF's F-4C or British's Buccaneer, but the variety of bombs or AGMs will fit the player's playstyle one way or another. For players who demand a fireworks show on the ground and create as many craters as possible, conventional and incendiary bombs are at your disposal. The Kh-23M missiles are arguably the least useful weapon in its loadout. With a ballistic computer, its unguided rockets are actually significantly easier to use than the MCLOS missile and are much more forgiving thanks to the large number it can carry. One unconventional and highly situational use for the AGMs is to launch them at enemy fighters with maximum horizontal guidance. The smoke trail and the movement gives the appearance of a radar-guided missile and can deter inexperienced players. Attempting to actually hit a jet fighter with a manually-guided missile yields very little results.

If the enemy SPAAGs, interceptors or in some occasion, helicopters with AAMs (namely, TY-90s found on PLAGF helicopters) are in business, the excellent speed of the MiG-23BN will certainly help you to get away from trouble since there are few jets that can catch up with your mach 2.0 top speed (but in high-altitude). Speed is what makes MiG-23BN unique among jet attackers of its era and BR; any prolonged fight in the combat area hugely increase its risk of meeting its end.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great top speed
• Great acceleration
• Great energy retention
• Sufficient payload for ground-attack
• Variable swept-wing makes it manoeuvrable
• Equipped with RWR

Cons:

• Lacks flares
• Lacks AAMs
• Bombs won't drop above Mach 1
• Relatively small ammo pool for the fixed 23 mm cannon
• Rather large size makes it easier to hit
• RWR only shows radar pings and locks from 4 sides
• Due to swept wing design it is hard to aim at high speeds
• The plane can only reach up to Mach 1 below 5,000 m
• At high altitudes the engine's performance drops significantly
• Gunsight lacks information to effectively use CCRP in simulator battles

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the MiG-23BN (Germany) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #331 - Metal Beasts section at 00:26 discusses the MiG-23BN (Germany).

See also

Related development

• MiG-23 (Family)

Other jet planes with variable sweep wings

• Tornado (Family)
• Su-17/22 (Family)
• F14 (Family)
• F-111A

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.