Lockheed Martin Rolls Out Four New Vectis Drone Prototypes

At the recent Association of the Air and Space Forces conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works quietly announced a modest yet meaningful expansion to its Vectis stealth‑drone program: four brand‑new prototypes are now in the works.

The move isn’t about sheer numbers. It’s about speed. By fielding extra airframes alongside the original model already slated for production, the company hopes to compress the flight‑testing schedule and demonstrate that the drone can be built quickly, affordably, and at a price point that will sit comfortably in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) marketplace.

“Development work on those additional aircraft is already underway, and we’ll have more specifics to share soon,” said Ron Fehlen, head of Skunk Works’ advanced development division. He didn’t name any prospective customers, but hinted that Vectis is being shaped to fly hand‑in‑hand with manned fighters – think F‑35s or future air‑dominance platforms – rather than being a stand‑alone, mass‑produced system.

Physically, Vectis is a fairly sizable unmanned aircraft. At roughly 34 feet long with a 38‑foot wingspan, it matches the length of an MQ‑9 Reaper while its wingspan mirrors that of an F‑35. Its sleek, tailless shape houses a top‑mounted, submerged air inlet – a clever trick that trims drag and, more importantly, keeps foreign debris from gumming up the engine when the drone operates from rough, makeshift runways.

Perhaps the most eye‑catching aspect isn’t the aerodynamics but the way the drones are being assembled. Skunk Works is trialling a “minimal‑tooling determinate assembly” process that Fehlen likened to putting together an IKEA bookshelf. By designing parts that snap together with very little tooling, labor hours drop dramatically – Lockheed claims up to an 80 percent reduction in hands‑on time and a higher first‑pass yield.

The rapid‑development timeline backs up those claims. From the first concept sketch to a wind‑tunnel‑tested model took just two months. A full digital build followed in six months, and the first production component rolled out eight months after the program’s kickoff.

Lockheed hasn’t disclosed the total spend on the Vectis effort, but the company did showcase a full‑scale model at the conference and released photos of the first prototype coming together in the shop. If all goes as planned, the maiden flight of the original prototype should occur by the close of 2027, with the new four likely following suit shortly after.

In short, the Vectis drone is being positioned as a versatile, cost‑effective wing‑mate for next‑generation fighters, capable of air‑to‑air, air‑to‑ground, and ISR missions. Whether it ends up on a carrier deck or a dusty forward base, the design philosophy suggests it can get there fast, stay cheap, and still keep a low radar profile.