And it's legendary cousin Mig 23ML at Bagram Air base. Mig 23 shot down a Paki F 16 in 1987
Soviet occupation of Afghanistan
@gadeshi which bombs are these KAB/FAB ?
View attachment 11766
This is MiG-23MLD of the 189-th IAP from Kanatovo (Kirovograd, Ukraine).
Plane carries 16 OFAB-100-120 which were used for timer-based minelaying on mount backs and in narrow places.
Those case with Paki F-16A shoot down, this is some mistery, because noone from pilots have convinced the victory (killing Paki jet could be serious disciplinary issue in that days). However, it is known that F-16A was killed by a MiG-23 flight (4 planes) in exactly minelaying mission with the loadout exactly as on your photo - no missiles, just 16 bombs + GSh-23L built-in cannon.
Minelaying were done from accending maneuver (to increase bombs flight range).
Pilots say that they don't killed F-16A, but Paki has came from the rear and has not predicted accending maneuver that led him to collision with one of the bombs just dropped.