YF-23 Black Widow Stealth Fighter Might Be the U.S. Air Force’s Biggest Mistake

YF-23 Black Widow Stealth Fighter Might Be the U.S. Air Force’s Biggest Mistake

The YF-23 is best known for losing the ATF competition to the F-22, but that outcome reflected doctrine and priorities more than performance. Northrop’s design pursued air superiority by minimizing signatures and controlling engagements at range, optimizing stealth, supercruise, and patrol reach instead of close-in dogfighting agility. Two prototypes—Black Widow II and Gray Ghost—highlighted a sleek, stealth-first philosophy shaped by Northrop’s…