Lockheed Martin has unveiled Vectis, a new stealth combat drone from its Skunk Works advanced programs division, designed to fly as an unmanned wingman alongside today’s F-35 and F-22 fighters and future generations of fighter aircraft.
In its September 21 announcement, Lockheed described Vectis as a “Group 5, multi-mission system” intended to operate in parallel with US and allied air forces.
Lockheed characterized the aircraft as offering “best in CCA class survivability,” a reference to the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, which seeks to add affordable uncrewed systems to support fifth-generation fighters. Lockheed emphasized that Vectis was conceived at what it calls a “CCA price point,” suggesting the drone will cost far less to buy and operate than a manned fighter while still carrying stealth features and advanced systems.
The company said it plans to have the Vectis prototype in the air by 2027.
Although Lockheed said it did not design Vectis for any specific military competition, the rollout shows how closely it aligns with the Air Force’s evolving requirements. By building to the Pentagon’s Group 5 standard — the largest and most capable category of drones — Lockheed is positioning Vectis to operate in contested environments and carry out a wide range of missions.
The company listed potential roles including air-to-air combat, strike, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. Lockheed also pointed to an open systems architecture that would allow Vectis to carry sensors, weapons, and communications equipment from outside suppliers. The company argues that this flexibility will make the aircraft more attractive to U.S. forces and allied militaries seeking tailored solutions.
Development work has already begun. “Prototype parts are ordered, the team is in work, and we intend to fly in the next two years,” Lockheed said in a statement. The company also emphasized ease of maintenance, saying it designed Vectis as a “daily flyer” with accessible internal systems and durable materials suitable for deployed environments.
Vectis represents the latest in a long line of advanced projects from Skunk Works, Lockheed’s development arm responsible for some of the most notable military aircraft of the past eight decades. Founded during World War II under engineer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, Skunk Works gained fame almost immediately with the rapid development of the P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first operational jet fighter. In the 1950s it produced the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, which flew at altitudes no enemy fighter could reach and played a pivotal role during the Cold War, including the Cuban Missile Crisis. The division followed with the SR-71 Blackbird, the Mach 3 spy plane that still holds speed and altitude records more than half a century later.
In the 1970s Skunk Works pioneered stealth technology with the F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational aircraft designed to evade radar detection, which the U.S. Air Force used extensively in the Gulf War. The group went on to design the F-22 Raptor, America’s first fifth-generation fighter, and played a major role in developing the F-35 Lightning II, which has become the backbone of U.S. and allied tactical air forces.
Alongside these headline projects, Skunk Works has conducted numerous classified programs and technology demonstrations that never became household names but helped define modern air combat. That heritage of secrecy, innovation, and rapid prototyping sets the stage for Vectis, which Lockheed now promotes as its next step in uncrewed combat aviation.
The Vectis unveiling provided scant details on speed, propulsion, or cost, but stressed that the design draws on Lockheed’s long experience in stealth and autonomy.
