Unconfirmed rumour I've heard that while Northrop didn't dig too hard into NATF-23 proposal, one of the carrier desk -23 variant was a canard ...with just 15% commonality with AF version.
Going by the one model I saw, that's a fairly accurate rumor. IMHO, the carrier version definitely was lacking in aesthetic appeal.
From this exchange, I take it that Northrop didn't consider swing-wings like Lockheed did for the navalized F-22. Then again, it's hard for me to imagine the swing wings combined with the Pelikan tail.
Regarding the lack of NATF info, is this primarily because of government-imposed classification, or contractor-imposed secrecy towards proprietary info?
I can certainly understand why neither Lockheed nor Northrop put much effort into the NATF proposal. Everybody was too familiar with the limits of commonality from the TFX days, and it seemed like Congress was far more interested than the Navy in the NATF. Then again, the reciprocal agreement about evaluating the A-12 as a replacement for the F-111 had some merit. While the A-12 lacked speed, it relied on stealth for survivability. Then again, the Strike Eagle has proven itself in combat to be a more-than-adequate replacement for the 'Vark.
