Key Points and Summary – Northrop’s YF-23 “Black Widow II” was arguably faster, longer-ranged, and stealthier than the YF-22, but Lockheed’s jet won with superior maneuverability, thrust-vectoring, avionics integration, and a clearer path to production and logistics.
-The article argues the Air Force likely wouldn’t have been transformed by choosing YF-23; the decisive factor would’ve been total fleet size, not marginal performance edges.
-Speculatively, a cheaper-to-operate, potentially exportable YF-23 might have broadened allied fleets, but that’s unknowable.
-Meanwhile, the F-22 proved stellar—despite high sustainment costs and a short production run—leaving the YF-23 as a compelling what-if rather than a lost revolution.
Would the YF-23 Stealth Fighter Have Changed the Trajectory of the Air Force?
By now, you are familiar with the F-22 Raptor. This could be the stealthiest fighter jet in the world. It is designed for air superiority, boasting enviable speed and a fluid design. The Raptor is a joy to fly for aviators who are surprised by its acceleration, versatility, rate of climb, and high altitude.
However, there was a time when the F-22 didn’t look like it would become the fighter that it is now. The Advanced Tactical Fighter competition once raged like a wildfire.
What was then called the YF-22 could have lost the fly-off to another beautiful-looking hot rod called the YF-23 Black Widow II.
This has some military and aerospace enthusiasts wondering if the Air Force made the correct choice in selecting what would then become the Raptor for full-time use.
The Head-to-Head Competition Was a Barn Burner
The YF-23 was faster and some believed stealthier than the YF-22.
However, the YF-22 outmaneuvered its competitor with advanced thrust-vectoring nozzles.
The YF-22 was seen as a better dogfighter as well.
YF-23A Black Widow II Stealth Fighter in Torrance
YF-23A Black Widow II Head On. Image Taken by National Security Journal at the Western Museum of Flight on August 16, 2025.
What would become the F-22 had more industry support. It was considered ready for the production line and its future supply chains and logistics trail were seen as advantageous.
Ultimately, the YF-23 did not win the competition, even though it looked great and could reach a better top speed and had more radar evasive qualities than the YF-22.
F-22 Performance Was Better
The F-22’s high-G actions, sharp turns, acceleration, and rate of climb were all improvements over the YF-23. The YF-23 also had fixed nozzles without thrust vectoring. This affected maneuverability.
The F-22 was also seen as having a more advanced avionics suite, and it demonstrated better integration of radar, sensors, and electronic warfare systems.
Picking the YF-22 over the YF-23 did not hurt the Air Force; indeed, it helped it produce the Raptor in what was originally going to be several hundred models.
The F-22 warbird enthused the Air Force. Could picking the YF-23 have changed the trajectory of the service branch had it won the competition?
YF-23 Black Widow II Fighter Gray Ghost. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
YF-23 National Security Journal Close Up Photo
Northrop YF-23 National Security Journal Photo. Taken on July 19, 2025.
You Say You Want a Revolution?
Probably not. Both airplanes had their strengths and weaknesses. The F-22 was not significantly better and would not have altered the composition of the Air Force in the modern era. The YF-23 had speed and stealth, and this would have made many pilots happy with just these features.
What would have made a difference would be the numbers produced. While the F-22 was ready for the production lines, the Air Force only built 195 Raptors. The YF-23, if more than 500 had been made, would have given a massive boost to the Air Force.
Another aspect of the F-22 is its air superiority mode. During the Global War on Terror, close air support for soldiers and marines on the ground was paramount. The F-22 was not used that much for ground strikes.
If the YF-23 could have been a multi-role fighter that could bring the noise to save combatants on the ground, it could have supplemented the combat activity of the F-16, F-15, and F/A-18 – all fighters that can destroy targets on the surface.
F-22 Is Expensive to Fly
And if the YF-23 did not need that much maintenance, it could have given the Air Force another boost. The F-22 costs between $70,000 and $85,000 per flight hour. An F-35 costs considerably less at around $45,000 per flight hour.
The YF-23 could have been cheaper. The F-22’s stealth coatings required more attention from technicians. Sometimes the F-22 can require 30 hours of maintenance for every hour it spends in the air.
The F-22 also burns a significant amount of fuel (depending on how it is flown), and this adds to its cost per flight hour. The YF-23 could have been more fuel-efficient. Spare parts are also expensive for the F-22 as components wear out constantly. The YF-23 may have been less finicky to keep in the air regularly without the need for new parts.
YF-23 Fighter at USAF Museum. Image by Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
Back of YF-23 Fighter. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
YF-23. Image by National Security Journal, Taken on 7/19/2025.
The United States also banned the F-22 from export. The YF-23 could have been sold overseas, granting more air power to partner states and interoperability with allies. Imagine several hundred F-35s and YF-23s proliferating around the world. This could have alleviated much concern about taking on the Russians and Chinese should the YF-23 have been available to partner air forces.
The Air Force Didn’t Fail Because of the F-22 Choice
Performance-wise, the YF-23 boasted greater range and the ability to reach supercruise without afterburners – another aspect of fuel efficiency that it could have displayed regularly.
We’ll never know the extent to which the YF-23 could have affected the Air Force. The F-22 has been a stellar airplane, despite none being built after 2012.
The YF-23 had advantages, but not enough to change the Air Force in a way that would have been revolutionary. It required less maintenance and would have been cheaper to keep flying regularly. The Black Widow II may have been more fuel efficient and could have kept maintenance hours minimized.
In all, the Air Force made the right choice. The YF-22 was more maneuverable and agile. The YF-23 had arguably better speed and stealthiness, but the Raptor was ready to be produced in high numbers. The Air Force would not have been revolutionized should the YF-23 have won the fly-off, and the service branch would have ticked along fine with the F-22. History just frowned on the YF-23.
About the Author: 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 US 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 US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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