R-23 (missile)
| R-23 / R-24 AA-7 Apex | |
|---|---|
R-23T on a Polish MiG-23 | |
| Type | Medium air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1974–present |
| Used by | Soviet Air Forces, others |
| Wars | 1982 Lebanon War Iran–Iraq War Operation Moduler Syrian Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | V. A. Pustyakov |
| Manufacturer | Vympel NPO |
| Specifications (R-23R) | |
| Mass | 222 kg (489 lb) |
| Length | 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in) |
| Diameter | 223 mm (8.8 in) |
| Warhead | expanding-rod high explosive |
| Warhead weight | 25 kg (55 lb) |
| Engine | solid fuel rocket |
| Propellant | 1.04 m (3 ft 5 in) |
Operational range | 35 kilometres (22 mi) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 3 |
Guidance system | semi-active radar homing (R-23R/R-24R) infrared homing (R-23T/R-24T) |
Launch platform | MiG-23 |
The Vympel R-23 (NATO reporting name AA-7 Apex) is a medium-range air-to-air missile developed by Vympel in the Soviet Union for fighter aircraft. An updated version with greater range, the R-24, replaced it in service. It is comparable to the American AIM-7 Sparrow, both in terms of overall performance as well as role.