Article Summary – Blocked from buying the F-22, Japan turned to an indigenous air-superiority fighter, launching the Mitsubishi-led F-3 program and soliciting designs from U.S. and European firms.
-Northrop Grumman, drawing on its YF-23 and B-2 stealth heritage, reportedly offered a complete concept and fueled speculation about a “reborn” Black Widow for Japan.
YF-23 Black Widow II Fighter In California. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
-But Tokyo ultimately rejected U.S. proposals and, in 2022, merged its effort with the UK and Italy into the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
-The shift preserves Japan’s sixth-generation ambitions while closing the door on any YF-23 comeback, folding F-3 lessons into a broader multinational stealth project.
Japan Wanted the F-22 — And Killed the YF-23’s Last Comeback Chance
When the F-22 was first unveiled, Japan enthusiastically expressed interest in acquiring the aircraft from the U.S. Unfortunately, the F-22 was prohibited from international export—its technology was set aside for exclusive U.S. use.
Japan, therefore, turned to its own industry to produce a dedicated air superiority fighter. The result was the F-3 program, headed by Mitsubishi.
YF-23 Back End. Image by Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal. Taken back in July 2025 at USAF Museum.
In 2018, Japan requested assistance from multiple U.S. and British aircraft manufacturers. One of these was Northrop Grumman, which had previously worked on the YF-23 Black Widow II. There was speculation that they pitched an upgraded version of the YF-23 to Japan, but as the program progressed, it became clear that the YF-23 would not soon make a comeback.
The F-3 Program
After the U.S. Congress blocked the export of the F-22 Raptor under the Obey Amendment, Japan pivoted toward developing an indigenous solution, supplemented by foreign partnerships to accelerate progress and reduce costs.
Japan’s F-3 stealth fighter program, initially known as the Mitsubishi F-X, was conceived as a next-generation air superiority platform to replace the aging F-2 (which is a licensed version of the F-16). The program emerged from Japan’s strategic need to counter growing regional threats from China while maintaining technological parity with advanced U.S. and European systems.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was selected as the prime contractor in 2020, but Japan actively sought international partners to provide advanced technologies. Among those expressing interest was Northrop Grumman, a U.S. defense giant with decades of experience in stealth aircraft design and systems integration.
Northrop Gets Involved
In 2018, Japan sent out a request for information from various aviation manufacturers. Northrop Grumman responded to Japan’s requests and entered into talks with Japanese defense officials.
Unlike Lockheed Martin, which proposed a hybrid fighter combining elements of the F-22 and F-35, Northrop offered a completed design for the aircraft, although it left room for flexibility.
YF-23A Black Widow II Head On. Image Taken by National Security Journal at the Western Museum of Flight on August 16, 2025.
Aviation enthusiasts speculated that Northrop proposed a modernized version of the YF-23 tech demonstrator that lost the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition against Lockheed’s YF-22.
Northrop Grumman was not the only company that responded to Japan’s call for aid. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and European firms such as BAE Systems were also interested in the project. Lockheed’s hybrid concept, blending the F-22 and F-35 into one package, was particularly attractive to Japan due to existing industrial ties and Japan’s participation in the F-35 program. B
oeing offered concepts derived from its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet lineage, while BAE Systems pitched technologies from the Eurofighter Typhoon program.
Japan’s overarching strategy was to secure foreign partners to share the estimated $40 billion development cost and gain access to advanced technologies that would otherwise require years of domestic research and development.
However, any U.S. company’s involvement, including Northrop Grumman, required approval from the U.S. government due to the sensitive nature of stealth and avionics technologies.
A Comeback for the YF-23?
The company’s interest was significant for several reasons. Northrop Grumman had extensive experience in the field of stealth design. Its YF-23 Black Widow II, while it lost in the Advanced Tactical Fighter program, remains a benchmark for aerodynamic efficiency and low observability.
Many analysts argue that its stealth characteristics and range performance were superior to the future F-22.
This heritage, combined with Northrop’s success in producing the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, positioned the company as a credible partner for Japan’s stealth ambitions. Rumors began to spread that Japan might build its own version of the YF-23, although there was never any proof to back up these claims.
X-32 and YF-23 Together at U.S. Air Force Museum. Image: National Security Journal.
Additionally, Northrop’s experience as a key subcontractor for the F-35 program gave it deep expertise in integrating advanced avionics, sensor fusion, and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, capabilities that Japan sought for its next-generation fighter.
Potential contributions from Northrop likely included low-observable airframe design insights, advanced radar and EW systems, sensor fusion technologies, and possibly unmanned systems integration, given Northrop’s leadership in unmanned aerial vehicle development.
Japan Chooses the GCAP
Unfortunately, little is known about the design Northrop presented to Japan. In 2016, an early prototype of the project known as the X-2 Shinshin took its first flight. This prototype was never expanded upon, but it gave Japan valuable experience in producing its own next-generation stealth fighter.
Unfortunately for all the YF-23 fans, the prototype more closely resembled the F-22. In 2020, Japan still had Northrop Grumman listed as a potential partner, after rejecting designs from Boeing, Lockheed, and BAE.
YF-23 Black Widow II Up Close National Security Journal Photo.
However, in December 2022, the governments of Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy announced a formal partnership for the development of a joint sixth-generation stealth fighter that would merge previous projects from all three nations.
With this merger, the Global Combat Air Programme was born.
The project is expected to incorporate many lessons learned from the previous F-3 program and the X-2 prototype.
In joining the efforts of the UK and Italy, any chances of Japan resurrecting the YF-23 were dashed.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
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