At the 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works® introduced Vectis, its next-generation Group 5 collaborative combat aircraft (CCA). Designed for stealth operations, the drone will partner with allied fighters to perform strike, electronic warfare, and ISR missions. Lockheed aims to have the aircraft built and flying within two years, positioning itself as a leading contender in the Air Force’s CCA competition.
The program is entirely industry-funded, with Lockheed bypassing the traditional acquisition cycle by advancing development independently. Components have already been procured, and assembly is in progress. The company’s strategy reflects a push to outpace rivals both in publicity and in technical readiness.
Unlike lower-cost wingman concepts, Vectis is being developed as a survivable, deep-penetration platform designed for high-threat battlespaces. Its architecture combines Skunk Works’ stealth heritage, digital engineering, and fighter systems expertise into a flexible and affordable combat system.
Lockheed emphasizes that Vectis incorporates a fully open mission system, compatible with DoD reference models, enabling rapid upgrades and integration of third-party technologies. The aircraft will also conform to interoperability standards such as MDCX™, ensuring seamless connectivity with present and future C2 networks.
