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| Mikoyan MiG-27 |
Militarymedia.net | The MiG-23B was developed from the MiG-23 interceptor in the late 1960s to meet Frontal Aviation's requirements for a tactical attack aircraft. The MiG-23BN series production variant proved to be a disappointment in service. Since 1975 it has been replaced by the more capable MiG-27. The Western reporting name for this Flogger ground attack aircraft.
The MiG-27 was developed as a fully optimized fighter-bomber based on the MiG-23BM ground attack aircraft. It is capable of performing blind bombing at night or in bad weather automatically with a very high degree of accuracy. Along with the Su-17, the MiG-27 makes up half of the mainstay strike force of the Tactical Frontal Aviation force. Between 1991 and 1994, both types were withdrawn from Russian service.
In 2001 the significant carriers were Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Cuba, India and Libya. The Algerian aircraft received an avionics upgrade by a Bulgarian company. Lower carriers are Angola, Ethiopia and Sudan. During a border clash with Eritrea in 1998 two Ethiopian MiG-23s were lost to ground fire.
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| Mikoyan MiG-27 |
India is the main operator of the MiG-27. The country acquired its first MiG-27 ground attack aircraft in 1984. In India Hindustan Aeronautics has produced 165 MiG-27M under license (known to MiG as MiG-27L). It is equipped with 7 squadrons. In 1999 the Indian MiG-27 took part in the Kargil War. In 2005 Hindustan Aeronautics substantially increased two squadrons. The gradual phase-out began in 2017. India retired its last MiG-27 fighter in 2019 after 35 years of service.
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| Mikoyan MiG-27 |
The only current operator of the MiG-27 is Kazakhstan (with three attack regiments). It operates the MiG-27M (Flogger-J) variant equipped with the PrNK-23M navigation/attack system, the Pelenga weapon system providing compatibility with precision-guided munitions and air-to-surface guided missiles and the Klen (maple) laser range-finder/ target tracker.
