[greedo]

The LWF (lightweight fighter) project was a well publicized procurement program. The YF-16 wasn't designed in secret, it was part of a three way competition between Boeing, Northrup, and General Dynamics.

The fighter mafia had tremendous influence in the development of the F-16 (and F-18), but it definitely wasn't a skunkworks program developed in secret and only unveiled at a later date like the U-2/SR-71 etc.