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Description
The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) contract was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including development and proliferation of Soviet-era Su-27 'Flanker' type fighter aircraft.
History
In 1981, USAF began forming requirements for a new air superiority fighter intended to replace the capability of the F-15 Eagle. In June 1981 a request for information (RFI) for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was published by the Air Force. Design concepts were provided by defense contractors. The common areas among the concepts were Stealth, STOL and supercruise.[1] It was envisaged that the ATF would incorporate emerging technologies including advanced alloys and composite material, advanced fly-by-wire flight control systems, higher power propulsion systems, and low-observable, or stealth technology.[2] The US Navy considered a navalized version of the ATF in the 1980s.
In September 1983, study contracts were awarded to seven airframe manufacturers for further definition of their designs. By late 1984, ATF requirements had settled on a fighter with a maximum takeoff weight of 50,000 lb, a mission radius of 800 miles, supercruise speed of Mach 1.4-1.5 and the ability to use a 2,000 ft runway.[3]
A request for proposals (RFP) was issued in 1985.[2] Two contractors, Lockheed and Northrop were selected in October 1986 to undertake a 50 month demonstration/validation phase, culminating in the flight test of two prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23. Under terms of agreements between Lockheed, General Dynamics, and Boeing, the companies agreed to participate in the development jointly if only one company's design was selected. Northrop and McDonnell Douglas had a similar agreement. Grumman and Rockwell did not enter into such cooperative agreements and were shut out of development.
Two examples of each prototype were built for the Demo-Val phase: one with General Electric YF-120 engines, the other with Pratt & Whitney YF-119 engines.[2][4]
Following a hard-fought fly-off competition, the Lockheed YF-22 with Pratt & Whitney engines was announced winner of the competition in April 1991.[2] The YF-23 design was more stealthy and faster, but the YF-22 was more agile.[5] It has been speculated in the aviation press that the YF-22 was also seen as more adaptable to the Navy's Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), though as it turned out the US Navy abandoned NATF a few months later.[6]
The Lockheed team was awarded the contract to develop and build the Advanced Tactical Fighter in August 1991. The Northrop design was later considered by the company for modification as a bomber but such proposals have not come to fruition. The production version of the YF-22, the F-22 Raptor was unveiled on 9 April 1997, at Lockheed-Georgia Co., Marietta, Georgia, and conducted its first flight on 7 September 1997. The Raptor achieved initial operational capability on 15 December 2005.
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History
In 1981, USAF began forming requirements for a new air superiority fighter intended to replace the capability of the F-15 Eagle. In June 1981 a request for information (RFI) for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was published by the Air Force. Design concepts were provided by defense contractors. The common areas among the concepts were Stealth, STOL and supercruise.[1] It was envisaged that the ATF would incorporate emerging technologies including advanced alloys and composite material, advanced fly-by-wire flight control systems, higher power propulsion systems, and low-observable, or stealth technology.[2] The US Navy considered a navalized version of the ATF in the 1980s.
In September 1983, study contracts were awarded to seven airframe manufacturers for further definition of their designs. By late 1984, ATF requirements had settled on a fighter with a maximum takeoff weight of 50,000 lb, a mission radius of 800 miles, supercruise speed of Mach 1.4-1.5 and the ability to use a 2,000 ft runway.[3]
A request for proposals (RFP) was issued in 1985.[2] Two contractors, Lockheed and Northrop were selected in October 1986 to undertake a 50 month demonstration/validation phase, culminating in the flight test of two prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23. Under terms of agreements between Lockheed, General Dynamics, and Boeing, the companies agreed to participate in the development jointly if only one company's design was selected. Northrop and McDonnell Douglas had a similar agreement. Grumman and Rockwell did not enter into such cooperative agreements and were shut out of development.
Two examples of each prototype were built for the Demo-Val phase: one with General Electric YF-120 engines, the other with Pratt & Whitney YF-119 engines.[2][4]
Following a hard-fought fly-off competition, the Lockheed YF-22 with Pratt & Whitney engines was announced winner of the competition in April 1991.[2] The YF-23 design was more stealthy and faster, but the YF-22 was more agile.[5] It has been speculated in the aviation press that the YF-22 was also seen as more adaptable to the Navy's Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), though as it turned out the US Navy abandoned NATF a few months later.[6]
The Lockheed team was awarded the contract to develop and build the Advanced Tactical Fighter in August 1991. The Northrop design was later considered by the company for modification as a bomber but such proposals have not come to fruition. The production version of the YF-22, the F-22 Raptor was unveiled on 9 April 1997, at Lockheed-Georgia Co., Marietta, Georgia, and conducted its first flight on 7 September 1997. The Raptor achieved initial operational capability on 15 December 2005.
Art Trade Kryptid [link]
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Comments5
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So strikingly similar to Sukhoi and MiG's design... But awesome!