In the high-stakes world of advanced military flight, few planes capture the imagination like the Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II. Conceived during a turning point in U.S. defense history, the YF-23 was Northrop’s daring attempt at the Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition—a high-tech showdown between two visionaries that would create the next generation of air superiority.
Early in the late 1980s, the world was changing rapidly. The Cold War was still smoldering at the margins, and the U.S. Air Force realized the F-15 Eagle wouldn’t be the only game in town forever. The emergence of Soviet platforms such as the MiG-29 and Su-27 meant the U.S. required something new—faster, stealthier, and smarter.
The ATF project was designed to create a fighter that could do everything: supercruise without the use of afterburners, blend into the sky like a specter, and excel at both long-range combat and close dogfighting. Northrop, in partnership with McDonnell Douglas, wanted to create something special—and succeeded.
The YF-23 didn’t look like anything else flying in the skies. Its sharp, diamond-shaped wings and canted V-tail weren’t simply futuristic—it was designed to disperse radar waves and vanish from the enemy radar screens. Its body flowed seamlessly into the body with no abrupt angles, and engines were nestled deep within the body, cutting both its radar and infrared signature. Result? A flying vehicle capable of sneaking past defenses before the enemy even realized it was coming.
But stealth was not its only secret. The YF-23 was a speedster. One test article had a Pratt & Whitney YF119 engine, the other a General Electric YF120—both advanced designs that could thrust the plane to Mach speeds without afterburners. This ability to supercruise wasn’t merely astounding; it made the YF-23 fly further and faster with less heat and noise, and made it more difficult to detect and chase. And with its guns tucked away inside, the plane maintained its sleek, stealthy profile while retaining a formidable sting.
The competition with Lockheed’s YF-22 was fierce, and the two aircraft had distinct strengths. The YF-23 leaned heavily on stealth and speed, while the YF-22 emphasized maneuverability. Lockheed incorporated thrust-vectoring nozzles into their design, providing their aircraft with unparalleled maneuverability in dogfighting. Defense analyst Isaac Seitz said that agility—combined with Lockheed’s solid production plan—was what gave them the edge.
The flight tests of the YF-23 were nothing short of exhilarating. The first prototype, called “Black Widow II,” flew for the first time on August 27, 1990. Its ascent was so vertical that the F-16 behind it needed to use afterburners just to stay with it. Shortly thereafter, the second prototype, called “Gray Ghost,” returned to the battle.
Both of the aircraft flew at about Mach 1.8, refueled in flight, and performed high-speed maneuvers with no trouble. Yes, there were glitches—such as windshield cracks on high-speed runs and initial engine idiosyncrasies—but these were resolved in a matter of time. By and large, the YF-23 demonstrated that it was as capable as it was radical.
Nevertheless, when it was time to decide, the Air Force selected the YF-22. It wasn’t a failure by any means. Rather, it was a priority decision. Although the YF-23 was quicker and stealthier, the Air Force needed something more agile for dogfighting up close. The YF-22’s thrust vectoring provided an advantage there. Lockheed’s experience with the military system and the company’s record for getting big programs through did not hurt either. Northrop, meanwhile, was still smarting from the struggles of the B-2 bomber program. Politics, industrial ties, and perceived risk were all involved.
The loss was a setback, but the YF-23’s impact did not stop there. Many of its design elements—particularly its stealth initiatives and supercruise technology—made their way into future platforms. Engineers who had worked on it contributed to the F-35’s development and even had an impact on the B-2 Spirit. Aerospace analyst Ali Osman Gündoğan pointed out that the YF-23 innovations made their mark for good, and that their history wasn’t merely about what might have been—it was about what it enabled.
Now, the two YF-23 prototypes rest quietly in museums, loved by visitors and pored over by engineers. They never had the opportunity to rule the skies in combat, but they are still reminders of bold design and innovative engineering. The Black Widow II lost the competition, but it gained something: a niche in the minds of those who envision what flight can become when boundaries are stretched and rules are broken.