* During the Cold War, the Soviet Mikoyan experimental design bureau (MiG OKB in its Russian acronym) provided a series of high-performance MiG jet fighters for the Red Air Force (Voyenno Vozdushniye Sily / VVS). In the early 1970s, the MiG OKB provided a set of "variable geometry (VG)" combat aircraft to the VVS, including the "MiG-23" fighter and the similar "MiG-23BN" and "MiG-27" strike aircraft, with these machines given the NATO reporting name of "Flogger". The Flogger was built in considerable quantity, was a significant component of Soviet and East Bloc air power from the late 1970s through the 1980s, and lingers in service today. This document provides a history and description of the MiG-23 and MiG-27.
