The term "Balkan Cross" has become the familiar English language term for the "black beam cross of Saint Michael of the Teutonic Order used by Prussia and Germany".
Any improvements to the MiG-23 will compete with the production of the MiG-29 for electronic warfare equipment or a helmet-mounted optical guidance system. For the USSR, any effort to improve the MiG-23 with the MiG-29 in service is just a waste of money. The entire MiG-23 program was initially unrealistic. Huge efforts were invested in mastering technologies, which as a result turned out to be unused. Perhaps the E-8 was a more reasonable way of fighter evolution. But the USSR had its own laws of "unnatural selection".