“The future battlespace demands systems that are as adaptable as they are survivable,” Lockheed Martin said. “Lockheed Martin Vectis is designed to operate independently or integrate seamlessly with the F-35 and next-generation aircraft, delivering the flexibility and mission dominance needed to support tomorrow’s missions.”
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works unveiled Vectis in September 2025 as a Group 5 survivable and lethal collaborative combat aircraft for U.S. and allied militaries. OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, made the following statement when the aircraft was revealed.
“Lockheed Martin Vectis is the culmination of our expertise in complex systems integration, advanced fighter development and autonomy,” Sanchez said in September 2025. “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.”
Lockheed Martin is positioning Vectis for modern air forces, particularly those operating the F-35. The aircraft is designed to integrate with fifth-generation and future platforms as part of a broader family-of-systems approach.
Vectis can operate in integrated teaming missions with crewed aircraft such as the F-35 while maintaining multi-domain connectivity. Lockheed Martin said its work on common control systems, including MDCX, would support compatibility across the command-and-control spectrum.
The aircraft is intended to conduct precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance targeting, electronic warfare, and offensive and defensive counter-air missions. It can perform those missions independently or in coordination with crewed platforms.
Lockheed Martin said Vectis would offer endurance suitable for operations in the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the U.S. Central Command area. The company also plans to apply its experience in stealth, aircraft shaping, advanced materials, speed and altitude to improve survivability.
Skunk Works is using advanced manufacturing and digital engineering methods developed through work on next-generation aircraft. Lockheed Martin plans to offer Vectis at a collaborative combat aircraft price point while pursuing an accelerated development schedule.
Vectis is being developed with an open architecture aligned with government reference architectures. The design is intended to prevent vendor lock-in and allow the aircraft to adapt to evolving U.S. military and international requirements.
Development is underway, with components ordered and a team working on the aircraft. Skunk Works is funding the effort and has set a goal of designing, building and flying Vectis within two years.
Lockheed Martin is also discussing Vectis with interested countries in Europe. The company displayed a scale model at the Brussels European Defence Exhibition, held from March 12 to 14, 2026.
At BEDEX, Vectis was promoted primarily to the Belgian Air Component as a potential loyal-wingman capability.
