Whoa: Lockheed Martin Unveils Space-Age 'Vectis' Drone, Will Be Almost As Capable As a Manned Fighter Jet

Aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin released info on plans for their new super drone, called “Vectis,” which will operate independently or alongside other military aircraft. It’s designed by Skunk Works, the pseudonym for the company’s Advanced Development Programs (ADP), and it looks right out of a sci-fi movie:

Lockheed’s new robo wingman, Vectis, is a sleek, autonomous stealth drone that feels like something from sci-fi—showcasing the future of robotic flight and next-gen drone tech.#drone #technews pic.twitter.com/2MwwaW4N3o
— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) September 24, 2025

The company issued a news release Sunday about the capabilities of the new craft, which they hope to have up in the air within two years:

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., Sept. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® (NYSE: LMT) introduces Lockheed Martin Vectis, a Group 5 survivable and lethal collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to advance unparalleled air dominance for American and allied militaries.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works' Vectis: highly capable, customizable and affordable agile drone framework.

The company said the craft will be “capable of executing precision strikes, ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] targeting, electronic warfare and offensive and defensive counter air missions,” and will be capable of working alongside manned fighters:

Mission Flexibility:
Provides multi-domain connectivity, whether standalone or as part of integrated teaming missions with crewed aircraft like the F-35.
Extended Range: Endurance ranges compatible with Indo-Pacific, European and Central Command theaters.

“Parts are ordered and a team is executing,” they wrote.

Hooah! Meet the Newer, Better Department of War

Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs (ADP), also known more colloquially as Skunk Works, has unveiled a new, high-end stealth drone for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program, dubbed Vectis. According to @thewarzonewire, Vectis is designed to… pic.twitter.com/xRyf0XQNMg
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 21, 2025

According to @thewarzonewire, Vectis is designed to be highly adaptable to an operator’s requirements, whether they be in the United States or in other partner countries around the world, with the first variant expected to take flight by 2028.

President Donald Trump has emphasized the importance of unmanned aircraft in the ever-changing battlefield landscape, and in June he issued an executive order titled “UNLEASHING AMERICAN DRONE DOMINANCE.” The order said:

Building a strong and secure domestic drone sector is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources, strengthening critical supply chains, and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are delivered to the American people," the executive order read. "The time has come to accelerate testing and to enable routine drone operations, scale up domestic production, and expand the export of trusted, American-manufactured drone technologies to global markets.

We’ll see in a couple of years whether Vectis is a game-changer.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.

Help us continue to report on the administration’s peace through strength foreign policy and its successes. Join RedState and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.