Test firings were carried out in 1967, although the SARH missile's seeker head proved to be extremely problematic[citation needed].

The R-23R, weighing 222 kg (489 lb), used a monopulse radar which gave it better ECM resistance compared to the AIM-7E-2.

Both versions used the same radar fused warhead, which had a lethal radius of 8 m (26 ft) and could bring down bomber-sized targets.

Smaller cropped-triangular surfaces are mounted in-line near the nose: known as "destabilizers", they serve to improve the rudders' efficiency at high angles of attack (the R-60 missile uses the same feature).

The R-23 had a probability of kill of 0.8-0.9, though it could not hit a target maneuvering at greater than 5 G. The launching aircraft was also limited to 4 G when it wished to fire the missile.

The warhead also had a more reliable radar fuse, which greatly reduced the minimum range to 500 m (1,600 ft) for a rear-quarter engagement and 2.5 km (1.6 mi) for a head-on attack.

According to Austrian researcher Tom Cooper, Syrian claims include using the R-23/24 against six F-16As and one E-2C, however, the only confirmed kill is against a BQM-34 drone.

Captain Arthur Piercy's F1CZ was damaged by either an R-24 or R-60 AAM fired head-on by Major Alberto Ley Rivas.

[6][7] On 5 April 1985 at 14:30 GMT, two SAAF C-130B Hercules took off to resupply UNITA troops when they were intercepted on their return by a MIG-23ML flown by Cuban pilot Major Eduardo Gonzalez.

[8] On 28 September 1988, two Soviet MiG-23MLDs piloted by Vladmir Astakhov and Boris Gavrilov shot down two Iranian AH-1J Cobras that had trespassed into Afghan airspace using R-23s.