In 1996, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded Boeing a four-year contract for the concept demonstration phase of the Joint Strike Fighter, or JSF, program competition. The goal was to develop a low-cost, multirole tactical aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Although not selected for full-scale development of the JSF, the JSF program yielded many advances in stealth technology and design and manufacturing methods.