U.S. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works unveils Vectis stealth drone for future air combat
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U.S. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works has unveiled Vectis, a stealth Group 5 drone built to team with U.S. and allied fighters, with flight testing targeted within two years.On September 21, 2025, U.S. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works® introduced Vectis, a Group 5 collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference 2025. The stealthy drone is designed to integrate with U.S. and allied fighters for precision strike, electronic warfare, and ISR missions, with Lockheed pledging to build and flight-test it within two years, a move that repositions the company in the Air Force’s competitive CCA race.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Artist illustration of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® Vectis, a Group 5 stealth-enabled collaborative combat aircraft designed for survivability and high-end lethality in contested airspace. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)
With Vectis, Lockheed Martin is not responding to a formal contract award. Instead, the company is bypassing traditional acquisition timelines by investing internal capital to accelerate the system’s development. Parts are already on order, and assembly is underway. This move signals Lockheed’s intent to outpace rival media narratives and technical competitors by bringing a flight-ready prototype to the skies within two years.
Unlike other platforms positioned as low-cost, attritable wingmen, Vectis is being developed as a survivable, multi-role combat asset, designed from inception to operate deep within contested battlespace. Skunk Works engineers have integrated decades of stealth innovation, fighter jet systems expertise, and digital design tools into a single modular platform that Lockheed describes as “highly capable, customizable and affordable.”
The aircraft features a fully open mission architecture, compliant with emerging Department of Defense reference models, enabling rapid payload reconfiguration and multi-vendor system integration. Lockheed has confirmed that Vectis will be interoperable with existing common control standards such as MDCX™, ensuring seamless integration with legacy and future C2 systems.
From a mission standpoint, Vectis is designed to support precision strike, electronic warfare, ISR targeting, and both offensive and defensive counter-air operations. The platform is also optimized for team-based operations with manned aircraft such as the F-35 and the upcoming NGAD fighter. Operational range and endurance are tailored for strategic theaters including INDOPACOM, CENTCOM and EUCOM, reflecting its intended role in high-end air campaigns.
Crucially, Vectis will leverage next-generation digital engineering and advanced manufacturing techniques to reduce cost and accelerate production. The aircraft is built to meet the U.S. Air Force’s aggressive CCA affordability targets, even while incorporating low observable materials, advanced sensor fusion, and adaptable mission systems. Lockheed claims this balance of survivability and cost control will allow for scalable production, operational redundancy, and global relevance.
The airframe itself remains closely held, but initial renderings suggest a tailless, stealth-optimized design with internal payload capacity and blended body shaping, drawing from Skunk Works’ historic expertise in platforms like the F-117, RQ-170, and F-22. Analysts expect the design to include passive and active sensor apertures, modular bays for kinetic and non-kinetic effects, and hardened data links for secure multi-domain operations.
Lockheed Martin’s decision to unveil Vectis now is also a clear response to the increasing visibility of competing platforms, including the General Atomics YFQ-42 and Anduril YFQ-44, both of which were selected under the U.S. Air Force’s CCA Increment I earlier this year. By taking a self-funded path and revealing a higher-end alternative, Lockheed appears to be positioning Vectis for consideration in CCA Increment II or as a bespoke solution for allied procurement, Foreign Military Sales, or emerging tri-service unmanned programs.
Beyond its airframe and mission architecture, Vectis also reflects Lockheed Martin’s broader strategy to dominate future air dominance ecosystems. The program is aligned with the company’s investments in digital twin technologies, AI-enabled autonomy, and advanced propulsion systems. While engine specifics have not been released, internal sources suggest the platform is being built around a high-efficiency powerplant designed to sustain extended missions across vast operating theaters.
Strategically, Vectis enters the CCA race at a pivotal moment. With U.S. and allied air forces preparing for potential operations in highly contested environments, such as the Taiwan Strait or Eastern Europe, the demand for autonomous systems that can survive and fight in GPS- and communications-denied battlespaces has never been higher. Lockheed’s ability to deliver a fast-track, high-performance CCA could fundamentally reshape the cost-per-effect equation in future air campaigns.
The use of open architecture, digital engineering, and mission reconfigurability also means Vectis can be adapted to support a range of evolving concepts of operation, from autonomous suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), to escort jamming, to forward ISR and targeting in support of hypersonic weapon delivery.
While much of the internal technology and system maturity remains classified, Lockheed’s aggressive development posture and public unveiling of Vectis represent a direct challenge to existing defense media narratives and a strategic effort to lead the public discourse around what the next generation of unmanned combat aviation should be.
As development progresses, Army Recognition will continue to provide exclusive coverage of Vectis, including future technical disclosures, prototype testing milestones, and strategic implications across the U.S. joint force and NATO allies. The coming months will be decisive in determining whether Vectis becomes a cornerstone of future air dominance or simply a bold vision that reshaped expectations for what unmanned systems can do.Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition GroupAlain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.
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U.S. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works has unveiled Vectis, a stealth Group 5 drone built to team with U.S. and allied fighters, with flight testing targeted within two years.
On September 21, 2025, U.S. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works® introduced Vectis, a Group 5 collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference 2025. The stealthy drone is designed to integrate with U.S. and allied fighters for precision strike, electronic warfare, and ISR missions, with Lockheed pledging to build and flight-test it within two years, a move that repositions the company in the Air Force’s competitive CCA race.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Artist illustration of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® Vectis, a Group 5 stealth-enabled collaborative combat aircraft designed for survivability and high-end lethality in contested airspace. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)
With Vectis, Lockheed Martin is not responding to a formal contract award. Instead, the company is bypassing traditional acquisition timelines by investing internal capital to accelerate the system’s development. Parts are already on order, and assembly is underway. This move signals Lockheed’s intent to outpace rival media narratives and technical competitors by bringing a flight-ready prototype to the skies within two years.
Unlike other platforms positioned as low-cost, attritable wingmen, Vectis is being developed as a survivable, multi-role combat asset, designed from inception to operate deep within contested battlespace. Skunk Works engineers have integrated decades of stealth innovation, fighter jet systems expertise, and digital design tools into a single modular platform that Lockheed describes as “highly capable, customizable and affordable.”
The aircraft features a fully open mission architecture, compliant with emerging Department of Defense reference models, enabling rapid payload reconfiguration and multi-vendor system integration. Lockheed has confirmed that Vectis will be interoperable with existing common control standards such as MDCX™, ensuring seamless integration with legacy and future C2 systems.
From a mission standpoint, Vectis is designed to support precision strike, electronic warfare, ISR targeting, and both offensive and defensive counter-air operations. The platform is also optimized for team-based operations with manned aircraft such as the F-35 and the upcoming NGAD fighter. Operational range and endurance are tailored for strategic theaters including INDOPACOM, CENTCOM and EUCOM, reflecting its intended role in high-end air campaigns.
Crucially, Vectis will leverage next-generation digital engineering and advanced manufacturing techniques to reduce cost and accelerate production. The aircraft is built to meet the U.S. Air Force’s aggressive CCA affordability targets, even while incorporating low observable materials, advanced sensor fusion, and adaptable mission systems. Lockheed claims this balance of survivability and cost control will allow for scalable production, operational redundancy, and global relevance.
The airframe itself remains closely held, but initial renderings suggest a tailless, stealth-optimized design with internal payload capacity and blended body shaping, drawing from Skunk Works’ historic expertise in platforms like the F-117, RQ-170, and F-22. Analysts expect the design to include passive and active sensor apertures, modular bays for kinetic and non-kinetic effects, and hardened data links for secure multi-domain operations.
Lockheed Martin’s decision to unveil Vectis now is also a clear response to the increasing visibility of competing platforms, including the General Atomics YFQ-42 and Anduril YFQ-44, both of which were selected under the U.S. Air Force’s CCA Increment I earlier this year. By taking a self-funded path and revealing a higher-end alternative, Lockheed appears to be positioning Vectis for consideration in CCA Increment II or as a bespoke solution for allied procurement, Foreign Military Sales, or emerging tri-service unmanned programs.
Beyond its airframe and mission architecture, Vectis also reflects Lockheed Martin’s broader strategy to dominate future air dominance ecosystems. The program is aligned with the company’s investments in digital twin technologies, AI-enabled autonomy, and advanced propulsion systems. While engine specifics have not been released, internal sources suggest the platform is being built around a high-efficiency powerplant designed to sustain extended missions across vast operating theaters.
Strategically, Vectis enters the CCA race at a pivotal moment. With U.S. and allied air forces preparing for potential operations in highly contested environments, such as the Taiwan Strait or Eastern Europe, the demand for autonomous systems that can survive and fight in GPS- and communications-denied battlespaces has never been higher. Lockheed’s ability to deliver a fast-track, high-performance CCA could fundamentally reshape the cost-per-effect equation in future air campaigns.
The use of open architecture, digital engineering, and mission reconfigurability also means Vectis can be adapted to support a range of evolving concepts of operation, from autonomous suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), to escort jamming, to forward ISR and targeting in support of hypersonic weapon delivery.
While much of the internal technology and system maturity remains classified, Lockheed’s aggressive development posture and public unveiling of Vectis represent a direct challenge to existing defense media narratives and a strategic effort to lead the public discourse around what the next generation of unmanned combat aviation should be.
As development progresses, Army Recognition will continue to provide exclusive coverage of Vectis, including future technical disclosures, prototype testing milestones, and strategic implications across the U.S. joint force and NATO allies. The coming months will be decisive in determining whether Vectis becomes a cornerstone of future air dominance or simply a bold vision that reshaped expectations for what unmanned systems can do.
Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.
