R-23 (missile)

The Vympel R-23, NATO reporting name AA-7 Apex, is a Soviet medium-range air-to-air missile designed to arm the MiG-23 fighter. Design began in the mid-1960s under V.A. Pustyakov's team as the K-23, intended for use against bomber-sized targets with a snap-up ability to attack aircraft flying higher than the launcher. A planned dual-mode seeker proved unworkable, so two separate versions were built: the R-23R with semi-active radar homing and the R-23T with a liquid-nitrogen-cooled infrared seeker, both using the same radar-fused warhead. The Soviets also studied a captured American AIM-7 Sparrow in 1968 as the K-25 but kept the K-23 for its better range and resistance to countermeasures, and some Sparrow features later influenced the R-27. The missile entered service in January 1974. It could not hit targets maneuvering harder than 5 G, and its launching aircraft was limited to 4 G. Vympel and Molniya built large numbers, and the improved R-24 replaced it in service.