MiG-23s could fly at angles of attack up to 24-26 degrees, which provided them with certain advantages over Western fighters of the 2nd and 3rd generations. But with the advent of the 4th generation aircraft, this superiority was lost (the F-16 of various modifications had a limit on the angle of attack of 26-28 degrees, and the F-15C could reach angles of attack up to 30 degrees). At the same time, the groundwork obtained by TsAGI and OKB specialists when creating highly maneuverable MiG-29 and Su-27 capable of reaching angles of attack of more than 30 degrees. due to the control of vortex formation, it could also be implemented during the modernization of the MiG-23. When finalizing the aircraft, the designers were given the condition of making minimal changes to the existing design - the production of the fighter was coming to an end, and it seemed impractical to significantly alter the production equipment. Several new aerodynamic layouts of the aircraft were studied, differing in the size and shape of the ledges on the wing tip, as well as the configuration of the vertical tail (even a variant with a reverse sweep keel was considered). However, in the end, the least "exotic" layout was chosen, providing a significant improvement in maneuverability with minimal modification of the airframe. On the wing, at the very base, a second vortex-forming "fang" appeared, providing stable flight at high angles of attack. It worked together with a vortex generator installed on the LDPE, made in the form of a small plate (length 365 mm) with sharp edges. The deflection of the wing tip at low sweep (at speeds up to 900 km / h) was carried out automatically, depending on the speed and angle of attack (the so-called adaptive mechanization). This is how the MiG-23MLD ("D" - modified, product "23-18") appeared - the last and most advanced aircraft in the "twenty-third" family, serial production of which began in 1984. At high angles of attack, the creators of the MiG-23MLD achieved stability and controllability characteristics comparable to those of the F-16.
Controls are similar to MiG-23ML, but now I've added a weapons drop button, which activates by AG3