: 1988 was right in the middle of the heated competition between the Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics YF-22 and the Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23 .
: During this period, the Navy was also evaluating a carrier-based variant of the ATF to replace the F-14, though this navalized version (NATF) was eventually canceled. The Intersection of Fact and Fiction ATF - Advanced Tactical Fighter (1988)(Digital ...
: The program mandated a "supercruise" capability (supersonic flight without afterburners) and "low detectability" (stealth). : 1988 was right in the middle of
: Pilots had to manage finite fuel and ammunition, forcing them to perform automatic landing sequences at friendly bases to refuel and repair mid-mission. The Real-World Context: The 1988 ATF Program : Pilots had to manage finite fuel and
: The game mirrored real-world ATF goals by allowing players to fly low to avoid detection , a primitive but effective representation of the stealth technologies being developed for the actual YF-22 and YF-23 prototypes.