Lockheed Martin says Vectis stealth combat drone has reached new development milestone for missions alongside F-22 and F-35 fighters

Lockheed Martin said its Vectis uncrewed combat aircraft reached another development milestone, but the company did not identify the achievement or revise its schedule. Unveiled in 2025, the low-observable Group 5 design is intended for air combat, strike, surveillance and electronic-warfare missions alongside F-22s, F-35s and future crewed aircraft. Its open-systems architecture is meant to accept third-party sensors, weapons and communications equipment rather than tie the platform to a single payload suite. A first prototype flight remains targeted for 2027, and Vectis is not assigned to a specific acquisition competition.