Lockheed Skunk Works presents Vectis, an autonomous drone designed to operate with F-22 and F-35 aircraft, built for endurance, interoperability, and multiple missions.
Summary
In September 2025, Lockheed Martin, through its Skunk Works division, unveiled the Vectis project, a Group 5 autonomous combat drone. This aircraft, weighing over 600 kg and capable of flying above 5,500 m, was designed as a companion to the F-22 and F-35. Inspired by the US Air Force’s work on the CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) program, Vectis is positioned between a cruise missile and a light fighter jet. Lockheed highlights its compatibility with joint communication architectures and its ability to carry out air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance missions. The drone, with delta wings and a dorsal air intake, will be controllable from a fighter jet and capable of firing on the pilot’s command. Non-supersonic but designed for survivability, Vectis promises simplified maintenance and reduced costs. It could be flying as early as 2027.
A program designed for human-machine collaboration
The Vectis project is part of the US Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative. This initiative aims to develop drones capable of operating in direct cooperation with manned fighter jets. The concept is based on the idea of a “loyal wingman,” i.e., a drone accompanying a main aircraft and performing remote missions: threat identification, jamming, and even direct engagement of targets. Lockheed has presented a scenario in which an F-22 pilots four Vectis drones. The drones advance, detect hostile aircraft, and engage on the pilot’s orders. This diagram illustrates the desire to delegate tasks to platforms that are less expensive than fighters, while increasing the survivability of piloted aircraft. Compatibility with 5th and 6th generation data links is at the heart of the program, in order to ensure full interoperability.
An intermediate aircraft between missile and fighter
OJ Sanchez, president of Skunk Works, has specified that Vectis would be between the size of Lockheed’s Common Multi-Mission Truck and an F-16. This suggests a drone approximately 10 to 12 m long, with a takeoff weight of around 6 to 10 tons, capable of flying at high altitudes. Unlike a cruise missile, Vectis is reusable and designed for daily or occasional use. Unlike a full-fledged fighter, it will not have all the sensors and maneuverability of a manned aircraft, but it will offer a compromise between cost, flexibility, and performance. Lockheed has confirmed that the aircraft will not be supersonic, but will be capable of following 5th generation fighters on cruise missions at around Mach 0.9 (approximately 1,100 km/h). This choice is intended to reduce costs while maintaining essential operational performance.
A modular and interoperable architecture
Vectis was designed from the outset to work with existing systems. Lockheed emphasizes alignment with the autonomy and communication architectures defined by the Pentagon. This means that the aircraft will not depend on a proprietary ecosystem and will be able to connect to other platforms, whether American or allied. This modularity also extends to the payload. Depending on requirements, Vectis will be able to carry AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, guided bombs, or ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) sensors. This approach makes it a multi-role drone that can be adapted to different export markets. The choice of the acronym “Vectis,” derived from the Latin word for “lever,” illustrates this force multiplier function: extending the range and power of an existing fleet without replacing manned aircraft.
Performance tailored to US doctrines
Lockheed has confirmed that Vectis will meet the concept of Agile Combat Employment, a US doctrine that involves dispersing combat aircraft to forward bases, sometimes rudimentary ones. The drone will therefore be designed to be maintained with minimal resources and simplified field operations. Its reliability and ability to fly frequently are highlighted. In a high-intensity war scenario, a drone such as Vectis can be deployed in large numbers to overwhelm enemy defenses. By way of comparison, the unit cost of a Gripen E exceeds $10 million, while a reusable drone of this type could be estimated to cost between $1.2 million and $2.4 million. This would allow dozens of units to be deployed for the price of a squadron of modern fighters, changing the cost/effectiveness balance.
Industrial and strategic challenges for Lockheed
Lockheed Martin has lost several recent competitions, including Increment 1 of the CCA program and the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) tenders from the US Air Force and US Navy. The launch of Vectis therefore reflects a desire to get back in the race. The company is banking on its experience with stealth aircraft and autonomous systems developed over more than 15 years. By focusing on a rapid timeline, with a first flight announced within two years, Lockheed is seeking to position itself for Increment 2 of the CCA program. The company knows that US demand is huge: the US Air Force plans to acquire several hundred collaborative drones by 2040 to complement its fleets of F-35s and B-21s. In terms of exports, countries such as Australia, Japan, and certain European states could be interested in acquiring them to strengthen their air forces without incurring exorbitant costs.
The consequences for the global military balance
The arrival of autonomous combat drones such as Vectis is profoundly changing the military balance. These platforms reduce human risk, increase the mass available for operations, and enable saturation strategies. Faced with powers such as China and Russia, which are developing their own stealth drones (China’s WZ-8 and Russia’s S-70 Okhotnik), the United States is seeking to maintain its technological lead. The prospect of mixed squadrons, composed of manned aircraft and drones, is also changing pilot training and the organization of forces. Finally, the question of decision-making autonomy remains central: how far can a drone engage a target without human validation? Doctrinal debates continue, but one thing is clear: platforms such as Vectis herald a multiplication of deployable air assets at controlled costs.
A near future marked by experimentation
The first flight, announced for 2027, will serve as a milestone for testing the announced capabilities in real-world conditions. If the results are conclusive, Vectis could enter service in the early 2030s. The program will also serve as a showcase for allies, with Lockheed seeking to demonstrate that its approach to modularity and interoperability is more flexible than that of competitors such as Anduril or General Atomics. The competition remains open, but the market, estimated to be worth tens of billions of euros by 2040, offers room for several manufacturers. For the armed forces, the key will lie in striking a balance between cost, reliability, and interoperability. Lockheed’s gamble is clear: to convince others that Vectis can establish itself as the standard for collaborative air warfare.
War Wings Daily is an independant magazine.