'Engineered for affordability': Lockheed Martin says Vectis stealth combat drone family will come before 2028 promotion videos show two hidden missile bays

Date:
Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:20:00 +0000

Description:
Lockheed Vectis combines autonomous operation, internal weapons storage, and stealth features as Lockheed develops a higher-end CCA for the Air Force.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Lockheed Vectis carries its air-to-air and strike weapons inside the aircraft Lockheed expects the first Vectis prototype to fly in 2027 The aircraft measures roughly 34 feet long with a 38-foot wingspan Lockheed Martin has released promotional footage offering a clearer look at Vectis, its proposed stealth Collaborative Combat Aircraft for future operations.

The company says the aircraft is intended for autonomous missions alongside crewed fighters, including the F-35 and future combat platforms. Lockheed expects the first Vectis prototype to fly in 2027, with four additional aircraft now entering development and testing. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Vectis reveals its internal weapons arrangement New computer-generated imagery shows a deeply recessed intake above the fuselage, indicating significant attention to the aircraft's signature characteristics.

The footage also depicts Vectis launching AIM-120 missiles and GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb IIs from internal weapons compartments. You may like 'Revolutionary' 36-year old jet engine designed for F-16 set to power world's first AI-piloted VTOL fighter jet New Polish jet-powered drone looks a lot like a miniature B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, and there's a good reason why Andruil unveils autonomous attack rotorcraft - could Thunder be the future of warfare as we know it?

Keeping those weapons inside the aircraft allows the illustrated
configuration to avoid exposing them on external attachment points during missions.

The arrangement supports the stealth requirements associated with the aircraft, although Lockheed has released few detailed performance specifications for Vectis. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features
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The company describes Vectis as an autonomous aircraft capable of operating independently or cooperating with crewed aircraft during demanding missions.

It also displayed a full-scale mock-up measuring about 34 feet long with a wingspan of approximately 38 feet.

Those dimensions establish the physical size of the aircraft, while important information about propulsion, payload and other systems remains undisclosed. What to read next 50 drones in one swat: Reusable Lockheed Martin's Morfius X-Rotor uses powerful microwave to kill dozens of UAVs at a time The US Air Force wants its next generation of target drones to mimic stealth jets Lockheed carries out missile launches directly from a drone boat - will the
US Navy be next?

Ron Fehlen, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of Skunk
Works, said the design responds to demanding customer requirements.

The technical specs, as you can imagine, are designed to meet and, in some cases, exceed the customer sets that we are working with and their requirements and their mission needs, said Fehlen. Affordability remains central to the Increment 2 effort Lockheed claims the aircraft is survivable, affordable, and adaptable across different missions, without disclosing its projected production cost.

Engineered for affordability and built for survivability, it delivers the flexibility todays operational environment demands. This is the future of airpower, built the Skunk Works way. Lockheed said.

Vectis is being developed for the Air Force's Increment 2 requirement after Lockheed lost the earlier Increment 1 competition.

For Increment 1, the Air Force selected Anduril's FQ-42 and General Atomics' FQ-44 rather than Lockheed's earlier, more expensive aircraft proposal.

Lockheed reduced complexity and cost while continuing development of a more capable stealth-oriented aircraft for Increment 2.

The Air Force's requirements for Increment 2 remain under development,
leaving the eventual balance between affordability, survivability and capability unresolved.

Earlier Increment 1 requirements called for more than 700 nautical miles of combat radius, while the later requirement could demand greater performance.

The lower costs could involve simpler stealth features and shorter-lived engines using manufacturing methods such as 3D printing.

A more demanding combat role, however, could require expensive propulsion, advanced avionics and sophisticated measures for reducing detectable signatures.

That combination leaves Vectis within an acquisition programme where the eventual technical requirements and preferred cost level remain unsettled. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/engineered-for-affordability-lockheed-martin-say s-vectis-stealth-combat-drone-family-will-come-before-2028-promotion-videos-sh ow-two-hidden-missile-bays


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