PUBLISHED on August 7, 2025, 11:45 AM EST – Key Points and Summary – In a speculative matchup between the American YF-23 prototype and China’s operational J-20 “Mighty Dragon” stealth fighter, a “slight edge” to the YF-23 seems possible.
-Although the two advanced aircraft are considered evenly matched in many respects, the American prototype had superior speed, a higher service ceiling, and likely better stealth capabilities.
-Crucially, the YF-23 was equipped with a 20mm internal cannon for close-range combat, a feature the J-20 lacks, which would provide a decisive advantage in a dogfight.
Which Fighter Jet Is Better? The American YF-23 or the Chinese J-20
The YF-23 was one of the best airplanes you have never heard of because it lost a competition and was not produced in numbers or assigned to active duty with the U.S. Air Force.
A good-looking airplane with sleekness and agility, the warbird lost out to the YF-22 in the Advanced Tactical Fighter fly-off in 1991 that culminated in the F-22 program.
The stealth fighter never progressed beyond the prototype phase, but it is an interesting exercise to see how it compares to the current jewel of the Chinese air force – the J-20 Mighty Dragon, a fifth-generation fighter jet.
The YF-23 Had Much Going For It
The YF-23 was a quality entry into the original competition. Test pilots thought that it had superior speed compared to the competing entry, the YF-22. The YF-23 also had better range and altitude. Excellent radar evasion was a plus.
The YF-23 sported supercruise ability to fly at an excellent speed without afterburners.
The Black Widow II Had Impressive Specs
McDonnell-Douglas built two YF-23 prototypes, and the warbird became known as the Black Widow II.
The YF-23 is a speedy aircraft capable of reaching Mach 2+. It is 67 feet long with a wingspan of 44 feet. The range was up to 800 nautical miles, and the maximum altitude was 65,000 feet. Two Pratt & Whitney YF119-PW-100s powered the YF-23 with 35,000 pounds of thrust each.
Multi-role Excellence for Ground Strike and Dog Fighting
The YF-23 maximized its stealthiness with diamond-shaped wings. It had canted tailfins and flush-mounted engine intakes. Since it displayed unusual levels of radar evasion, the YF-23 could have penetrated deep into enemy airspace, avoided discovery, and dropped its ordnance.
YF-23 Black Widow II USAF Image.
Plus, the high level of stealthiness and maneuverability would have enabled better dog-fighting ability.
Chengdu Is Going Gangbusters With the J-20
This sounds great, but what if the Black Widow II had won the competition? It certainly had some stand-out features. Let’s say it became the go-to F-23 instead of the F-22 Raptor. It would have to face the current premium Chinese fighter, potentially the J-20, also known as the Mighty Dragon.
There are more than 250 J-20s in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fleet. The J-20 is proliferating quickly.
The PLAAF and Chengdu have an excellent partnership, and more J-20s are being put into active service every month.
The J-20 Has Newer Engines
The Mighty Dragon is nearly as fast as the YF-23, and it clocks in at MACH 2.
The Chinese stealth jet is powered by its Shenyang WS-10C turbofan engines, which produce 33,000 pounds of thrust. Moreover, the newer models have the advanced WS-15 powerplants, which are even more robust, allowing pilots to push them to better altitude and acceleration.
One feature that is important for situational awareness is the JLJ-5 AESA radar. This system is more modern than the sensors on the YF-23. The J-20 is longer than the YF-23, measuring 69 feet, with a slightly smaller wingspan of 43 feet. The combat radius is 1,200 miles, and the ceiling is lower than the YF-23 at 52,000 feet.
Like the YF-23, the J-20 is a keen hunter-killer. It can conduct simple air policing missions or deep strike in multi-threat environments. This makes it an air superiority and multi-role fighter that can challenge the current F-22 and F-35s. The J-20 may not be as stealthy as those warbirds, but it could give the YF-23 a run for its money with better survivability and with steely determination from pilots who improve each year.
YF-23 Black Widow II Up Close National Security Journal Photo.
The J-20 has secondary missions, too. It can collect reconnaissance data and perform electronic warfare roles.
So, it is a Day One fighter if warfare were to break out. This would be the first airplane to conduct missions over Taiwan should an amphibious attack be executed against the island. The J-20 could first suppress enemy air defenses and pave the way for follow-on attacks from bombers with cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions. The Taiwanese could be blinded after Day One with the J-20 creating air dominance and a clear path to victory in the air.
YF-23 vs. J-20: Who Wins? Maybe a Draw
How about a head-to-head matchup in dogfighting between the YF-23 and the J-20?
This would boil down to the skill of the individual pilots, but the airplanes are evenly matched. They are both speedy and stealthy.
The YF-23 could have the edge in radar evasion. The Americans still have the advantage in stealth flight. The YF-23 would be a maneuverable fighter with better-thrusting engines and the acceleration and rate of climb that could catch the J-20 in a compromised position. The Chinese pilot would receive the notification that he is under missile lock first.
Munitions are also similar. Both airplanes have excellent weapons. The YF-23 would have launched AIM-120 AMRAAMs and AIM-9 Sidewinders.
The J-20 has PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles and PL-10 short-range air-to-air missiles. The YF-23 had an onboard 20mm cannon while the J-20 has no onboard close-in gun.
These airplanes are excellent. The YF-23 had better stealth capabilities and more robust engines, although the J-20 continues to improve with domestically produced powerplants. Chengdu can produce the J-20 in greater numbers, which is an advantage. The YF-23 may have been more pilot-friendly with better sensors. So I give a slight edge to the Black Widow II.
The Mighty Dragon brings much to the table, but the YF-23 is a worthy adversary. Expect the J-20 to undergo updates in the coming years to enhance its overall performance. We will never see these two airplanes go head-to-head.
Still, it is instrumental to research American and Chinese engineering and design proficiencies to see how future airplanes, such as the F-22 and F-35, compare to the J-20.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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