YF-23 (Black Widow II): will KSA go for it?

[The SC]

Saudi Arabia is determined to acquire the fifth generation fighter jets, whether by buying or manufacturing ...

Saudi Arabia and its leaders throughout history have acquired the best for its armed forces and with its new leadership it has started with a new thought, namely: Catch rare and real opportunities

So will Saudi Arabia do it and go for the F-23 full/partial ToT to make it in KSA?

The Black Widow was much faster and stealthier than the F-22 Raptor..

(Click to expand image..)

What is the feasibility of such a project?

 

[Gomig-21]

IIRC, this thing actually achieved better results than the YF-22, but the USAF determined it was actually going to be more costly to maintain in the long run, which now seems rather bizarre considering what we know about the cost of each Raptor and what each flight hour costs. But it's overall shape is truly radical and very innovative, especially the combined, canted V tails.

The interesting design element on this bird is how the air intakes are on front, bottom and nacelles and nozzle come up through the fuselage on top. True S-shape design, much more drastic than the Raptor

 

[Basel]

Saudi Arabia is determined to acquire the fifth generation fighter jets, whether by buying or manufacturing ...

Saudi Arabia and its leaders throughout history have acquired the best for its armed forces and with its new leadership it has started with a new thought, namely: Catch rare and real opportunities

So will Saudi Arabia do it and go for the F-23 full ToT to make it in KSA?

The Black Widow was much faster and stealthier than the F-22 Raptor..

(Click to expand image..)

What is the feasibility of such a project?

US will not allow that as it was better then YF-22, US may even not allow sale of F-32 to KSA which was bit lower in capabilities then F-35.

 

[AmirPatriot]

Are you kidding me... What's next, "XB-70 Valkyrie will KSA go for it"?

With the Israeli lobby, Saudi would be lucky to get the F-35 any time soon. Let alone the YF-23 which never got beyond the prototype stage anyway.

 

[The SC]

Are you kidding me... What's next, "XB-70 Valkyrie will KSA go for it"?

With the Israeli lobby, Saudi would be lucky to get the F-35 any time soon. Let alone the YF-23 which never got beyond the prototype stage anyway.

That is why I thought of it.. it had parallel technologies with the F-22 that the Saudis were supposed to get from the Bush administration.. but the Usraelis started crying wolf and wanted the same.. Obama just stopped it for everyone.. The F-23 was tested too at the same time as the YF-22.. meaning that it had production facilities that can be transferred to KSA..the only objections might concern ToT but that can be partial too, and the price that will be exorbitant..
F-35 might be coming, but I do not think it will be for KSA, most likely for the UAE, the Saudi doctrine for the air force is different, they never went for the F-16s, and the F-35 is its 5th generation replacement, while there are only the F-22 or F-23 that are the 5th generation of the F-15, the main backbone of the RSAF..

US will not allow that as it was better then YF-22, US may even not allow sale of F-32 to KSA which was bit lower in capabilities then F-35.

Never heard of a US F-32 fighter!!!? any sources please?

 

[Gomig-21]

That is why I thought of it.. it had parallel technologies with the F-22 that the Saudis were supposed to get from the Bush administration.. but the Usraelis started crying wolf and wanted the same.. Obama just stopped it for everyone.. The F-23 was tested too at the same time as the YF-22.. meaning that it had production facilities that can be transferred to KSA..the only objections might concern ToT but that can be partial too, and the price that will be exorbitant..
F-35 might be coming, but I do not think it will be for KSA, most likely for the UAE, the Saudi doctrine for the air force is different, they never went for the F-16s, and the F-35 is its 5th generation replacement, while there are only the F-22 or F-23 that are the 5th generation of the F-15, the main backbone of the RSAF..

As crazy as the YF-23 to Saudi may sound, even better, in reality is the F-22. The US can combine Japan, South Korea and maybe even Canada and some others to buy them with the Saudis and reopen the production line again. What a benefit that would be and the US doesn't even need to change anything, except maybe the RAM and a few other, secret avionics items since all the American Raptors will be getting a software upgrade to F-35 standards with 16B datalink and such. So they would be basically selling an export version of the Raptor. At the same time it opens the production line in the US and everyone benefits without compromising anything.

Never heard of a US F-32 fighter!!!? any sources please?

I think he meant F-23.

 

[The SC]

As crazy as the YF-23 to Saudi may sound, even better, in reality is the F-22. The US can combine Japan, South Korea and maybe even Canada and some others to buy them with the Saudis and reopen the production line again. What a benefit that would be and the US doesn't even need to change anything, except maybe the RAM and a few other, secret avionics items since all the American Raptors will be getting a software upgrade to F-35 standards with 16B datalink and such. So they would be basically selling an export version of the Raptor. At the same time it opens the production line in the US and everyone benefits without compromising anything.



I think he meant F-23.

Of course that will be better, but the YF-32 was discarded and only 2 prototypes of it exist.. It is because the US made it its policy not to sell the F-22 that the Idea of the F-23 sounded like something to explore..
I know that in order to be feasible and financially sound a project like this one will entice the production of over a thousand aircrafts, that is where a coalition of some sort has to be formed around KSA as the main financier..

 

[Hassan Guy]

Dude what?

The YF-23 was an experimental aircraft which never entered production and has been dead for over 2 decades.

Im guessing people just post whatever they want these days.

@The SC what is wrong with you?

 

[Penguin]

The Black Widow was much faster and stealthier than the F-22 Raptor..

YF23 speed listed above as 1261 kn / 1451 mph / 2335 kph

• Maximum speed:
  • At altitude: Mach 2.2+ (1,450+ mph, 2,335+ km/h)
  • Supercruise: Mach 1.6+ (1,060+ mph, 1,706+ km/h)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_YF-23#Specifications_.28YF-23.29

F-22 Maximum speed:

• At altitude: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h)
  
• Supercruise: Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,960 km/h)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor#Specifications_.28F-22A.29

The Lockheed (F22) and Pratt & Whitney designs were rated higher on technical aspects, were considered lower risks, and were considered to have more effective program management.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_YF-23#Evaluation

The YF-23 design was considered stealthier and faster, while the YF-22 was more maneuverable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor#Origins

Both mention:
The aviation press speculated that the YF-22 was also more adaptable to the U.S. Navy's Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), but by 1992, the Navy had abandoned NATF.

 

[Avicenna]

Ridiculous thread.

 

[MultaniGuy]

The Saudis could get it

 

[untitled]

Never heard of a US F-32 fighter!!!? any sources please?

Boeing X32. The Boeing prototype which was competing against the X35 (now F35) in the JSF program

 

[MultaniGuy]

Its possible that the Saudis could get it.

 

[untitled]

Even the F22s production line has been mothballed. Why would the US revive an even older 5th gen project?

Lets assume the US does revive the F23. I am sure all the other parties that were interested in F22 would want to grab hold of a F23.

 

[That Guy]

The Saudis could get it

No, they can't. It's a dead project.