picture 182300

This is a reconstruction of ‘white 55’ – the MiG-23MLD from the 120th Fighter Aviation Regiment flown by Captain Sergey Privalov on 12 September 1988, when it was damaged by a proximity-fusing AIM-9L fired by a Pakistani F-16A. The jet is shown in the configuration at the time of its sortie, with an R-24R semi-active radar homing, medium range-air-to-air missile under the wing (the infrared homing variant, R-24T, was also deployed by the V-VS in Afghanistan but rarely photographed). Secondary armament consisted of either two or four R-60M infrared homing, shortrange air-to-air missiles, and internally installed twin 23mm calibre GSh-23 autocannon. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)