-The YF-23 competed in the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program during the Cold War but lost to Lockheed’s YF-22, which became the F-22 Raptor. The YF-23 was admired for its stealth, speed ...

YF-23 vs. F-22 Raptor: Why the YF-23 Fell Short The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23, a fifth-generation stealth fighter developed in the late 1980s as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced ...

Key Points – The Northrop YF-23 “Black Widow II,” a prototype developed for the US Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter competition in the late 1980s, showcased a radical stealth design ...

The YF-22 had the edge over the YF-23 and the Air Force prioritized maneuverability for close-range combat. The USAF believed Lockheed had a stronger team, too.

Just like we did with the YF-22 and YF-23 in the 1990s, we had advanced technology demonstrators flying.” “And just recently we had the announcement from the Oval Office.

Despite being so visually impressive, only two YF-23s were ever built. The first YF-23, nicknamed Black Widow II, was built around two Pratt & Whitney engines that enabled supercruise at Mach 1.43.