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 replace the F-15 Eagle. The proposed fighter was intended to counter emerging worldwide threats in the 1980s, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters under development, Beriev A-50 airborne warning and control systems (AWACS), and increasingly sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems. The program resulted in the F-22 Raptor. The ATF would make a leap in performance and capability by taking advantage of emerging technologies, including advanced avionics and flight control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and stealth technology. Lockheed and Northrop were selected in 1986 as finalists for the program's Demonstration and Validation (Dem/Val) phase. They would be the lead contractors to respectively develop the YF-22 and YF-23 technology demonstrator prototypes, the associated avionics prototypes, and the system specification; the prototype aircraft were flight tested in 1990. After evaluations, the Lockheed team was selected in 1991 for ATF full-scale development, or Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD). The Lockheed team developed their design into the F-22 Raptor, which first flew in 1997, for production and operational service; a naval version of the ATF (called NATF) was considered as an F-14 Tomcat replacement but was later canceled due to costs.