Advanced Tactical Fighter
The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was a program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters under development in the 1980s, Beriev A-50 airborne warning and control system (AWACS), and increasingly sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems. Lockheed and Northrop were selected in 1986 to respectively develop the YF-22 and the YF-23 technology demonstrator aircraft for the program's demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) phase. These aircraft were evaluated in 1991 and the Lockheed design was selected for full-scale development, or engineering and manufacturing development (EMD), and later developed into the F-22 Raptor for production and operational service.
| Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) | |
|---|---|
| The YF-22 (foreground) and YF-23 (background) | |
| General information | |
| Project for | Air superiority fighter |
| Issued by | United States Air Force |
| Proposals | proposals from Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed, Northrop, and McDonnell Douglas |
| Prototypes | Lockheed YF-22, Northrop YF-23 |
| Requirement | Advanced Tactical Fighter Statement of Operational Need (November 1984) |
| History | |
| Initiated | May 1981 (RFI), September 1985 (RFP) |
| Concluded | August 1991 |
| Outcome | YF-22 selected for full-scale development into the F-22 for production and service |
| Variations | JAFE, NATF, Have Dash II |