The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 was an American single-seat, twin-engine stealthfighter aircraft technology demonstrator designed for the United States Air Force(USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition, battling the Lockheed YF-22 for a production contract. Two YF-23 prototypes were built with the nicknames "Black Widow II" and "Gray Ghost".
In the 1980s, the USAF began looking for a replacement for its fighter aircraft, especially to counter the USSR's advanced Sukhoi Su-27and Mikoyan MiG-29. Several companies submitted design proposals; the USAF selected proposals from Northrop andLockheed. Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas to develop the YF-23, while Lockheed,Boeing and General Dynamics developed the YF-22.
The YF-23 was stealthier and faster, but less agile than its competitor. After a four-year development and evaluation process, the YF-22 was announced the winner in 1991 and entered production as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The U.S. Navy considered using the production version of the ATF as the basis for a replacement to the F-14, but these plans were later canceled. The two YF-23 prototypes were museum exhibits as of 2010