Key Points and Summary – Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works is moving from iconic manned jets to advanced drones with Vectis, a stealthy Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) aimed at a 2027 first flight.
-Designed with open systems architecture, Vectis can plug into F-22, F-35, and NGAD F-47 kill-webs for air-to-air, air-to-ground, and ISR roles.
-Executives say prototype parts are on order and the initial air vehicle is in work, promising “best-in-class survivability at the CCA price point.”
-Drawing on Skunk Works’ tailless design pedigree (e.g., X-44), Vectis emphasizes low observability, modular payloads, and interoperability—positioning it to be a versatile loyal wingman in high-end air combat.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Now Delving Into Stealth Drones
Lockheed Martin’s legendary Skunk Works division is arguably the most successful name in military aviation technology (with all due respect, of course, to the likes of Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, the now-defunct North American Aviation, and so forth), proudly carrying on the all-American legacy of its genius forefather, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson.
Among the many prestige planes produced by Skunk Works have been the P-80/F-80 Shooting Star (America’s first jet fighter used in combat), the U-2 “Dragon Lady” spy plane, the SR-71 Blackbird (still the world’s fast-breathing aircraft, 35 years after its official retirement), and the world’s first two operational 5th-generation stealth fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II.
“Flexibility is the key to airpower,” quoth the famous dictum by early 20th-century Italian airpower theorist Gen. Giulio Douhet, and in accordance with that principle, Skunk Works is now expanding from manned aircraft into the realm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Say hello to the Vectis drone.
The Basic Story
A recent article by Valerie Insinna for Breaking Defense titled “Lockheed’s Skunk Works reveals Vectis stealth drone, eyeing first flight in 2027.”
To wit: “Lockheed Martin’s secretive Skunk Works advanced development arm has unveiled a new project—a stealthy autonomous drone it calls Vectis that Lockheed intends to fly by the end of 2027 … The first Vectis prototype is currently ‘in progress,’ but is envisioned as a large ‘Category 5’ reusable drone designed to be customizable to match shifts in the threat environment, said OJ Sanchez, Skunk Works’s vice president and general manager … ‘Vectis provides best-in-class survivability at the CCA [Collaborative Combat Aircraft] price point,’ Sanchez told reporters ahead of the Air Force Association’s Air Space and Cyber conference. ‘Prototype parts are ordered, the team is in work, and we intend to fly in the next two years.’”
NOTE: Mr. Orlando “OJ” Sanchez Jr. is a retired US Air Force Colonel whose assignments included Vice Commander, 325th Fighter Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Tyndall AFB, Florida, and Squadron Commander, 90th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Col. (Ret.) Sanchez was a command pilot with over 2,100 hours in the F-15C Eagle and the F-22.
What Will the Vectis Be Able to Do?
The Vectis is envisioned for the following mission categories:
-Air-to-air
-Air-to-ground
–Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)
Going back to the Douhet quote about flexibility, going hand in hand with flexibility is versatility, and the Vectis will evidently embody that principle as well:
-It will incorporate an open systems architecture allowing it to interface with platforms and mission systems not built by Lockheed Martin (presumably this will include Boeing’s F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance [NGAD] 6th-generation fighter jet and F/A-18 Super Hornet)
-It can be fine-tuned even further to meet a customer’s specific requirements, such as which payloads it can carry, or whether it is optimized for regular operations or used less frequently on deployments.
Interestingly, the Vectis design is also informed and inspired, in part, by Skunk Works’ previous experience in designing tailless aircraft, such as the X-44 MANTA.
Sidebar Discussion: The CCA
Since Col. (ret.) Sanchez mentioned the Vectis’s compatibility with the CCA; the latter platform merits some further description. As per the Congressional Research Service (CRS), “The Air Force contends that CCA is being created as a so-called ‘loyal wingman,’ a large uncrewed aircraft (UAS) that could fly alongside new and existing crewed fighter jets. The Air Force describes CCAs, powered by jet engines, as potentially able to fly alone or in small groups, and potentially equipped for a variety of missions, including air-to-air combat; air-to-ground combat; electronic warfare; targeting; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.”
CCAs are considered part of the NGAD program.
The Way Forward for Vectis?
As already indicated by the title of Ms. Insinna’s aforementioned article, the Vectis is still an estimated two years away from making its maiden flight. In the meantime, Lockheed Martin has been conducting operational analysis and simulations that paired its up-and-coming UAV with the F-22 and F-35, with Sanchez noting that its low-observable signature and communications gear are “compatible” with 5th- and 6th-generation aircraft.
Naturally, we at NSJ will keep you, dear readers, up to date on further developments with the Vectis program as they become available. Stay tuned.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
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