The Northrop YF-23A ‘Black Widow II’ Fighter Summed Up in 4 Words

The Northrop YF-23A ‘Black Widow II’ Fighter Summed Up in 4 Words

PUBLISHED on August 16, 2025, 6:30 PM EDT, Key Points and Summary: The Northrop YF-23A Black Widow II was a revolutionary stealth prototype that competed against the YF-22 in the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition. While the YF-23A was arguably stealthier and possessed a longer range, it lost to the more agile YF-22, which became the F-22 Raptor. -According to one of the program’s engineers, the decision was not based purely on performance bu…