The YF-23’s emphasis on stealth and long-range engagements over dogfighting cost it the race with the YF-22—but in hindsight, its vision was the more influential one.

The YF-23 Black Widow II is a case study in what might have been the future of the US Air Force. The sleek, stealthy aircraft was designed for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program—Northrop and McDonnell Douglas’ alternative to the Lockheed YF-22, offering a vastly different vision of what fifth-generation air dominance could look like.

The YF-23 Black Widow II’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: Never introduced (1990 prototype first flight)
• Number Built: 2 (prototypes)
• Length: 67 ft 5 in (20.6 m)
• Wingspan: 43 ft 7 in (13.3 m)
• Weight (MTOW): ~65,000 lb (29,500 kg)
• Engines: Two prototype turbofans (Pratt & Whitney YF119 or GE YF120)
• Top Speed: ~1,600+ mph (2,575+ km/h) ≈ Mach 2+
• Supercruise Speed: Faster than YF-22 (exact figures classified/estimated)
• Range: ~2,000 mi (3,200 km) ferry (est.)
• Service Ceiling: ~60,000 ft (18,300 m)
• Loadout: Internal bays for air-to-air missiles (prototype configuration)
• Aircrew: 1

The YF-23 Was Unlike Any Fighter Jet Ever Built Before

The ATF program was launched during the late Cold War to field an American counter to advanced Soviet fighters, i.e. the Su-27 and MiG-29. The program requirements emphasized stealth, super cruise, advanced sensors, and air superiority. Two finalists emerged: the YF-22 and the YF-23. Both aircraft flew in 1990, competing head-to-head in flight testing. 

Northrop designed the YF-23 to be sleek and stealthy, with low observability and a reduced infrared signature. The distinctive diamond-shaped wings and V-tail design, engine exhaust outlets buried and flattened, and internal weapons bays, all gave the aircraft a reduced IR and radar signature. Indeed, the design emphasis was on stealth and speed, not on pure dogfighting agility. The YF-23 likely had a lower radar cross-section (RCS) than the YF-22, due to smoother shaping, and a higher top speed, estimated to be beyond Mach 2. The Northrop prototype also had sustained supercruise capability—the ability to fly at supersonic speeds without using afterburners, saving fuel—at a higher speed than the YF-22. For flight controls, the YF-23 was equipped with an advanced fly-by-wire system, albeit with a more conservative maneuver envelope than the YF-22. 

In sum, the YF-23 was optimized for speed and stealth, with less emphasis on post-stall maneuverability. The aircraft was designed to detect enemy fighters before it could be detected, kill at a long range, then disengage.

The YF-22 on the other hand, was a more conventional dogfighter. It was built with 2D thrust vectoring nozzles, offering extreme agility and more forgiving handling characteristics. The YF-22 was also built to engage from long-range, consistent with US doctrine—but the aircraft was better suited for close-range dogfights than the YF-23, which had simply made a different doctrinal choice during the design phase.

The YF-23 Helped Shape the Future of the Air Force

In the end, the Air Force chose the YF-22, which became the F-22 Raptor. Why? The Air Force preferred the YF-22’s maneuverability insurance, giving pilot’s confidence should an aerial combat ever collapse into close-in dogfighting. The YF-23 meanwhile raised concerns about low-speed handling and growth potential, whereas the YF-22 was seen as more adaptable and more controllable. Basically, it came down to institutional comfort, and the Air Force was more comfortable with a platform that could dogfight. 

The YF-23 never entered production. But the design concepts had an outsized influence on stealth shaping philosophy and engine exhaust management. Northrop’s stealth expertise, partially gained on the YF-23 program, would contribute to the B-2 Spirit and the B-21 Raider stealth bomber programs. And in retrospect, some aviation enthusiasts still argue that choosing the YF-23 would have been the better choice for an era of beyond-visual-range combat emphasizing sensor fusion and stealth-first long-distance engagements. But in the early 1990s, the YF-23 was too far ahead of its time, when dogfighting still dominated the minds of military analysts.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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