Key Points and Summary on the YF-23: The Northrop YF-23 “Black Widow II” was a revolutionary stealth fighter that many experts believe was a superior aircraft to the YF-22, which ultimately became the F-22 Raptor.
-Possessing greater speed, range, and stealth, the YF-23 was a formidable contender in the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition.
YF-23 Black Widow II Up Close National Security Journal Photo.
-However, it lost out due to a combination of factors, including the Air Force’s preference for the YF-22’s dogfighting agility, a more effective marketing campaign by Lockheed, and political pressure to award the contract to a company with fewer active fighter programs at the time.
The ‘Stealthier, Faster’ Fighter That Lost: The Sad Story of the YF-23
The YF-23, known as the Black Widow II, was a prototype stealth fighter developed by Northrop and McDonnell Douglas for the US Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Although it lost the competition to the YF-22 (which became the F-22 Raptor), the YF-23 was notable for its advanced stealth technology and unique design, featuring a blended wing-body configuration and canted vertical tails.
Northrop and McDonnell Douglas’ YF-23 was an outstanding aircraft, but it suffered from a lack of presentation to the program’s decision-makers. Otherwise, history may have turned out quite differently.
Meet The YF-23 Stealth Fighter
The YF-23 had a sleek, stealthy design and innovative features. The Black Widow incorporated technologies such as advanced radar-absorbing materials, a revolutionary diamond-shaped wing, and an emphasis on reducing infrared signatures.
It used a blended wing-body and S-duct engine intakes to reduce its radar cross-section.
The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney YF119 or General Electric YF120 engines, enabling supercruise. Having the supercruise capability meant it could maintain supersonic speeds without using fuel-guzzling afterburners, offering advantages in range and fuel efficiency.
YF-23 Back. Image Credit: National Security Journal. Photo Taken at U.S. Air Force Museum.
The YF-23 could reach speeds of up to Mach 2.2 at high altitudes, flying over distances of 2,424 nautical miles (2,789 miles / 4,489 km), according to Aerotime Hub. Its combination of speed, agility, and stealth made it a fierce competitor.
While Lockheed’s YF-22 had a visually impressive design, the YF-23 truly stood out with its extraordinary appearance. It featured diamond-shaped wings that contributed to reduced radar visibility, and its slim side profile resembled that of the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.
Why Did The YF-23 Lose to YF-22?
The YF-23 Black Widow was an aircraft ahead of its time, designed for incredible stealth. Its unique shape, angular surfaces, and blended edges were carefully crafted to minimize radar cross-section, ensuring reduced detectability by enemy radar systems.
The aircraft’s dark, radar-absorbent material coating further enhanced its stealth capabilities, absorbing and diffusing radar waves to prevent them from being reflected to the source.
The YF-23 had better speed and stealth characteristics. The YF-23 also “showcased better range, higher ceiling,” one report stated after the competition. However, the aircraft lost the ATF competition to the YF-22, primarily due to the YF-22’s superior agility and maneuverability, which were considered more desirable for air combat. The thrust vector nozzles on the YF-22 made it a much more desirable dogfighter, and that ultimately won over the Air Force.
“What no one wants to admit is the ‘white-scarf, inside the furball’ fighter mafia still reigned supreme at that time,” according to test pilot Paul Metz, one of the few ever to fly both aircraft.
“Northrop’s YF-23 team was comprised of brilliant engineers,” he said. Metz added that the engineers were beyond compare, but he also recognized that they “thought and spoke almost exclusively in engineering terms.”
However, “Lockheed infused far more marketing, salesmanship, and pizazz—’ lasting impressions’ as he describes”—into their YF-22 flight demonstration program.
“They fundamentally understood how to sell their aircraft and how ‘showmanship’ heavily impacts the acquisition decision-making process. Northrop didn’t, and that fact may have proven fatal for the YF-23.”
Was politics involved in the decision? . Lockheed Martin’s track record with stealth aircraft, having developed the F-117 Nighthawk, was an advantage. Its industrial team was larger and more experienced, and the company had strong relationships with key decision-makers in the Department of Defense.
At the time, Lockheed Martin lacked new fighter programs. The F-22 was a decision to keep them in the fighter business. Northrop had the B-2 project. The Air Force decided that it was essential to the country’s national security to keep Lockheed as an aircraft manufacturer and sided with the YF-22.
After the competition was completed, one of the two YF-23 prototypes was donated and is on display at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. In fact, we just paid a visit to this warbird, and that’s where the pictures from this article were sourced from. She sits right next to the Boeing X-32 fighter.
YF-23 Question: Could Have Been More Dominant Than the F-22 Raptor?
Considering the F-22’s dominant status as a fighter, widely regarded as the most dominant air supremacy platform to have existed, which has undergone continuous upgrades throughout its service life, it is fair to wonder how successful the YF-23 would have been, given its superior range and speed.
It may have been an even more dominant platform considering how aircraft have evolved in today’s modern air warfare.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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