R-23 (missile)

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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.