Lockheed Martin’s “Super F-35” Plans: Could the YF-23 Legacy Resurface?

Last Updated on September 4, 2025 by Daily News Staff

Super F-35

Lockheed Martin is quietly shaping the future of its flagship fighter, the F-35 Lightning II. With the U.S. Air Force pushing ahead on the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program — and Boeing recently securing the lead — Lockheed is looking at another path: evolving the F-35 into a “supercharged” version that could rival sixth-generation fighters at a fraction of the cost.

And here’s the twist: some of these concepts are drawing inspiration from the legendary Northrop YF-23, the stealth fighter that nearly became America’s premier air superiority jet back in the 1990s.

From F-35 to “Super F-35”

Lockheed executives have acknowledged the need to keep the F-35 relevant as adversaries field more advanced aircraft. CEO Jim Taiclet described the strategy as offering “80% of sixth-generation capability at roughly 50% of the cost.”

Rather than starting from scratch, the plan is to inject sixth-gen technologies into the F-35 platform, improving stealth, sensors, and weapons integration. Several proposed variants have been floated:

F-35D – Incremental improvements in range, sensors, and mission systems. F-35EX – A more radical redesign with new aerodynamics, canards, and possibly thrust vectoring. F-35FX / F-35GX – Experimental concepts featuring tailless delta or diamond-shaped designs, increased fuel capacity, and even greater stealth profiles.

Lockheed’s message is clear: the F-35 can still be stretched far beyond its current form.

Northrop YF-23 PAV-1 in flight.

Enter the YF-23 Connection

The YF-23, also known as the “Black Widow II,” was Northrop’s sleek, stealthy competitor to Lockheed’s YF-22 during the 1990 Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition. While the YF-22 eventually evolved into the F-22 Raptor, many aviation enthusiasts still regard the YF-23 as a superior design in stealth and speed.

Now, decades later, Darold Cummings — the original designer of the YF-23 — is influencing proposals for upgraded F-35 variants. His ideas bring echoes of the YF-23’s innovation, including:

Stretched fuselage for more fuel and better aerodynamics. Canard foreplanes to improve agility and control. Thrust vectoring engines that could eliminate the need for a vertical tail, reducing radar signature.

In effect, Lockheed may be merging proven YF-23 design philosophies with the global production and versatility of the F-35.

Why It Matters

The F-35 is already the world’s most widely adopted stealth fighter, serving over a dozen allied nations. A “super-F-35” would:

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Extend the aircraft’s service life well into the 2040s and beyond. Offer allies a more affordable alternative to costly sixth-gen programs. Potentially outpace rivals like China’s J-20 and Russia’s Su-57 by evolving faster than new programs can mature.

If even part of these concepts reach production, the F-35 may transform from a fifth-generation fighter into a bridge to sixth-generation air combat — carrying a touch of the YF-23’s DNA into the future.

Final Thoughts

Lockheed’s proposals remain just that — proposals. Whether the Pentagon or international partners are willing to fund radical upgrades is still an open question. But the idea of a YF-23-inspired Super F-35 has captured the imagination of aviation fans, blending a lost legend of the past with the frontline fighter of today.

If Lockheed pulls it off, the “Lightning II” may yet live up to its name in ways no one expected.

🔗 Related Reading:

• Trump floats possible new F-55 warplane and F-22 upgrade (Reuters)

• Trump’s vision for a twin-engine F-55 fighter jet faces reality check (Reuters)

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