Key Points and Summary – While many aviation fans believe the faster, stealthier YF-23 should have won the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition, a new analysis details the four key reasons it lost to the F-22.
-The YF-22’s superior maneuverability, thanks to its thrust-vectoring nozzles, was a decisive factor for an Air Force that still valued dogfighting.
-Furthermore, the F-22 was seen as a more mature, versatile, and production-ready design with stronger political and industrial backing.
-Ultimately, the Air Force chose the F-22’s balanced performance over the YF-23’s specialized excellence in speed and stealth.
4 Reasons the YF-23 Black Widow II Lost to the F-22 Raptor
The YF-23 was an experimental stealth fighter that was designed by Northrop and McDonnell Douglas for the Advanced Tactical Fighter program in the late 80s and early 90s.
Despite outperforming the YF-22 (later F-22 Raptor) in the area of stealth and speed, the YF-23 ultimately lost.
With the benefit of hindsight, some now view this decision as a mistake. However, the decision makers at the Air Force were not blind to the YF-23’s strengths and chose the YF-22 for a variety of reasons.
Here are some of the top four reasons why I think the YF-22 was chosen over the YF-23.
Maneuverability
The first and perhaps most decisive reason was the YF-22’s superior agility and maneuverability. The YF-22 was equipped with two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, which allowed it to direct engine thrust vertically.
This feature provided the aircraft with exceptional pitch control, enabling it to perform high-angle-of-attack maneuvers, tight turns, and rapid climbs —capabilities critical in close-range dogfighting scenarios.
In contrast, the YF-23 used fixed nozzles that were optimized for stealth and speed but lacked thrust vectoring. While this design made the YF-23 slightly faster and stealthier in some respects, it sacrificed maneuverability.
At the time, the U.S. Air Force still placed significant emphasis on within-visual-range combat, despite the growing importance of beyond-visual-range engagements.
The F-22’s agility was seen as a major advantage in ensuring air dominance in any combat scenario, including those that required close-quarters maneuvering.
More Versatile Design
The second major factor was the YF-22’s more mature and flexible design. From the outset, the F-22 was perceived as a more production-ready platform. It incorporated a more advanced avionics suite and demonstrated superior integration of radar, sensors, and electronic warfare systems.
Lockheed Martin’s approach emphasized sensor fusion, a concept in which data from multiple sources is combined into a single, coherent picture for the pilot.
This innovation significantly enhanced situational awareness and would later become a defining feature of fifth-generation fighters.
YF-23 Black Widow II Fighter Gray Ghost. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
Additionally, the YF-22’s design was considered more modular and adaptable than the YF-23. This flexibility was crucial for a program expected to last for decades and evolve alongside emerging technologies. The Air Force valued the F-22’s potential for future growth, including the integration of new weapons, sensors, and mission capabilities.
Behind the Scenes Political Deals
A third, and often underappreciated, reason for the F-22’s selection was the influence of political and industrial considerations. Defense procurement decisions are rarely made on technical merit alone, and the ATF program was no exception.
Lockheed’s team included Boeing and General Dynamics, two major aerospace firms with extensive political influence and manufacturing infrastructure. This consortium had a broader geographic and political footprint, which helped garner support from Congress.
In contrast, Northrop had recently faced scrutiny over cost overruns and management issues with the B-2 Spirit bomber program. These concerns may have raised doubts about Northrop’s ability to manage another large and complex defense project. Furthermore, the F-22 program promised to distribute jobs and economic benefits across more states and congressional districts, which is always a significant factor in large defense contracts. This broader economic impact helped build a stronger coalition of political support for the YF-22.
Balanced Performance
The fourth key reason was the YF-22’s balanced performance across all mission profiles. While the YF-23 excelled in stealth and speed, the YF-22 offered a more well-rounded performance that aligned more closely with the Air Force’s operational needs.
YF-23 National Security Journal Close Up Photo
The YF-23 had a stealthier shape, particularly from the side and rear aspects, and it demonstrated slightly better supercruise performance.
However, the Air Force judged that the F-22’s stealth characteristics were sufficient for its intended missions and that its superior agility and avionics made it a better all-around performer. The F-22 was also seen as more versatile in terms of its ability to perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
Although the initial focus of the ATF program was air superiority, the Air Force recognized the value of a platform that could be adapted for precision strike and other roles in the future. The F-22’s design allowed for such upgrades, making it a more attractive long-term investment.
Other Considerations on the YF-23
These are the four reasons I consider to be the most important to the YF-23’s Downfall. However, there will still be more factors that influence decision makers.
During the flight test phase, the YF-22 reportedly experienced fewer technical issues and demonstrated more consistent performance across a range of test scenarios.
Northrop YF-23 National Security Journal Photo. Taken on July 19, 2025.
This gave the Air Force greater confidence in its reliability and development timeline. Pilot feedback also favored the YF-22 in several areas, including cockpit ergonomics, situational awareness, and handling characteristics. While both aircraft were praised by test pilots, the YF-22 received higher marks in areas that directly impacted pilot effectiveness and survivability in combat.
Ultimately, the choice between the YF-22 and YF-23 was not a matter of one aircraft being superior in every respect. Many aviation experts and historians have argued that the YF-23 was the more elegant and stealth-optimized design. S
ome even contend that it would have been better suited for the modern air combat environment, which increasingly emphasizes stealth and beyond-visual-range engagements over traditional dogfighting.
YF-23 National Security Journal Photo. Taken by Harry J. Kazianis at U.S. Air Force Museum on 7/19/2025.
However, the Air Force’s decision was based on a comprehensive evaluation of each aircraft’s capabilities, development risk, and long-term potential.
The F-22 was chosen because it offered superior maneuverability, a more mature and flexible systems architecture, stronger political and industrial backing, and a balanced performance profile that met the Air Force’s strategic needs.
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.
Editor’s Note: All photos (besides the ‘hero’ image) and video in this article were taken on a July 19-20, 2025, National Security Journal visit to the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. We asked, and were denied, a request to take closer photos of this fighter due to “budget” and “low staffing” issues.
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