Lockheed Skunk Works Reveals New Vectis Combat Drone

Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works has revealed Vectis, a next-generation stealth drone designed for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. While Lockheed lost out in the first round to General Atomics and Anduril, the new platform signals the company’s determination to stay in the loyal wingman fight.

Unlike the earlier “gold-plated” design that was deemed too expensive, Vectis blends survivability, adaptability, and affordability in an effort to win back relevance in the rapidly growing CCA field.

Design and Stealth Features

Renderings show a tailless design with a lambda wing, S-shaped engine ducting, and exhaust shrouding—all hallmarks of advanced stealth shaping. The drone is part of Lockheed’s Agile Drone Framework, which prioritizes open mission systems, modular payloads, and seamless integration with F-22s, F-35s, and future sixth-generation fighters.

Skunk Works emphasizes that Vectis is smaller than an F-16, but falls into the U.S. military’s Group 5 UAV category, meaning it’s among the largest and most capable drones in operation.

Performance and Mission Roles

While exact specifications remain classified, Lockheed says Vectis will offer long endurance compatible with Indo-Pacific and European theaters, a critical advantage where range has been a limitation for many CCAs. The drone is runway-dependent for now but designed for high reliability and ease of maintenance to support distributed operations like the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment strategy.

Mission sets include air-to-air combat, precision strike, ISR, and electronic warfare. Promotional material even depicts Vectis firing air-to-air missiles in coordination with F-22s, highlighting its potential as both a partner and independent hunter.

Survivability vs. Cost

The biggest distinction between Vectis and current Increment 1 CCA designs from Anduril and General Atomics lies in philosophy. Those competitors focus on low-cost, attritable drones, while Vectis leans toward being capable and survivable.

Lockheed argues this makes Vectis better suited for high-threat environments, though it likely means a higher unit cost—potentially around the Air Force’s $20 million benchmark.

The Road Ahead

With parts already ordered and a first flight planned within two years, Vectis is Lockheed Martin’s attempt to redefine the CCA debate: expendable versus enduring. If it delivers the survivability Skunk Works promises, it could reshape how the Air Force and allies view uncrewed combat aircraft.