Lockheed unveils next-gen unmanned combat aircraft

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works advanced projects division has introduced its newest unmanned combat aircraft, unveiling an advanced collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) called Vectis, designed to support U.S. and allied air forces in the next generation of air power.

According to the company, Vectis is a Group 5 survivable and lethal CCA that brings together Lockheed Martin’s long-standing expertise in fighter aircraft, autonomy, and open mission architectures. Skunk Works said the aircraft has been engineered to meet the demands of modern and future combat environments at a competitive cost and timeline.

“Vectis is the culmination of our expertise in complex systems integration, advanced fighter development and autonomy,” said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “We’re not simply building a new platform – we’re creating a new paradigm for air power based on a highly capable, customizable and affordable agile drone framework.”

The Vectis drone is designed to integrate seamlessly with fifth-generation and future aircraft under the U.S. Air Force’s Family of Systems approach. It is capable of supporting a wide range of missions, including precision strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare, and counter-air operations.

Lockheed Martin said the system’s design allows it to either operate independently or in close coordination with crewed aircraft such as the F-35. The drone is built with extended endurance, making it suitable for operations across Indo-Pacific, European, and Central Command theaters.

Vectis leverages Lockheed Martin’s decades of work in stealth design, advanced materials, and systems integration. The company noted that survivability remains central to the platform’s value, providing protection in highly contested environments.

Equally important, the company emphasized affordability. By applying advanced manufacturing methods and digital engineering practices used in next-generation aircraft programs, Skunk Works said Vectis can meet aggressive cost targets while avoiding traditional vendor lock. Its architecture is aligned with government reference standards to ensure interoperability with existing and future command and control networks.

Lockheed Martin confirmed that Vectis is already in active development, with parts ordered and teams assembled for design, build, and test phases. Skunk Works has committed internal funding and manpower to ensure the program’s rapid progress.

The company stated that its goal is to deliver a platform that not only advances survivability and mission systems but also enters operational testing within a short timeline. “Design, build and fly within two years” is the benchmark the company has set for the program.

The unveiling of Vectis comes as the Pentagon continues to define requirements for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and next-generation air dominance initiatives. Lockheed Martin said Vectis will align with evolving tri-service architectures, ensuring the U.S. and its allies retain an edge in contested airspace.

Skunk Works, known for pioneering projects such as the U-2, SR-71, F-117, and F-22, is now extending its innovation track record into the CCA domain. The company said Vectis reflects “class-leading survivability in an agile, multi-role package,” directly addressing the challenges posed by near-peer adversaries.

As the defense industry accelerates toward integrating manned-unmanned teaming concepts, Vectis represents Lockheed Martin’s commitment to delivering a highly survivable, mission-flexible, and cost-efficient combat drone for the coming decade.