Lockheed Martin’s legendary Skunk Works division has officially revealed its newest creation, the Vectis stealth Group 5 drone, during the 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. Designed to fly alongside U.S. and allied fighter jets, Vectis is expected to achieve its first flight within two years.
The platform combines stealth technology, precision strike, electronic warfare, and ISR capabilities in a single, modular combat system. Lockheed Martin is self-funding the program, bypassing traditional acquisition timelines to accelerate development. Components are already being produced, and assembly has started.
Unlike many low-cost “loyal wingman” projects, Vectis is conceived as a survivable, multi-role combat aircraft capable of operating deep inside contested airspace. Its fully open mission architecture supports rapid payload swaps and integration of multi-vendor systems, ensuring interoperability with current and future command-and-control networks.
Vectis is optimized for collaborative missions with manned aircraft such as the F-35 and NGAD, and its range and endurance are tuned for theaters like INDOPACOM, CENTCOM, and EUCOM.
Although design details remain classified, early renderings reveal a tailless, stealth-optimized shape with internal payload bays and blended body shaping, reminiscent of Skunk Works’ previous stealth icons like the F-117, RQ-170, and F-22.
The unveiling comes amid rising competition from platforms like General Atomics’ YFQ-42 and Anduril’s YFQ-44, both selected for the U.S. Air Force’s CCA Increment I program. By revealing Vectis now, Lockheed signals its intention to compete in CCA Increment II and position the aircraft as a high-end solution for both U.S. and allied procurement programs.
Digital engineering, AI-enabled autonomy, and advanced manufacturing are key elements of the program, aimed at reducing cost and enabling scalable production.
In the coming months, prototype testing and additional technical disclosures will determine whether Vectis becomes a cornerstone of next-generation air dominance or simply a bold vision that redefines expectations for unmanned combat aviation.
