Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works plans to build four additional Vectis combat drones, expanding the experimental fleet to five aircraft as the company prepares for further testing. The announcement came as the secretive research arm promotes the platform for potential U.S. military use. Defense One reported that development work on the additional vehicles is already underway.
Ron Fehlen, Skunk Works’ vice president and general manager, said the four new aircraft will join the original prototype. “We are moving forward with a plan to build an additional four vehicles, bringing a total of five to include the original prototype,” Fehlen said. He added that the company would provide more specifics later. The company has not disclosed when each additional vehicle will be completed or how the expanded fleet will be used in testing.
Skunk Works unveiled Vectis last year as a Group 5 drone intended to perform a wide range of missions. Company officials shared new images before the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, a defense conference held near Washington, D.C. The aircraft is expected to be about 34 feet long, with a wingspan of roughly 38 feet.
The aircraft will use a submerged engine inlet and a tailless body, according to Fehlen. The design features were presented as part of the platform’s approach to reducing drag and supporting mission flexibility. Skunk Works has not released details about the propulsion system, weapons loadout or estimated cost. It also has not identified a specific military customer or program for the aircraft.
The platform is being discussed in the context of collaborative combat aircraft. The Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy are each seeking to field such systems, and Fehlen said Lockheed is targeting a price competitive with that category. He did not identify one specific procurement effort for Vectis.
Fehlen said Vectis could work with Lockheed Martin fighter aircraft and with other fighter platforms produced around the world. He described the aircraft as part of the company’s broader work on crewed tactical systems and said the drone would need to integrate with those systems and other fighter aircraft.
Skunk Works is also relying on digital design methods and what Fehlen called “minimal tooling determinant assembly” to support the development schedule. He compared the approach to ready-to-assemble furniture with pre-drilled holes. The method is intended to reduce the amount of touch labor required and improve first-pass production results, according to Fehlen. He said Skunk Works has seen cases in which labor hours required to assemble an aircraft fell by 80 percent.
Fehlen said Skunk Works remains on track to fly Vectis by the end of 2027. He attributed confidence in that timeline in part to the company’s use of digital designs and the assembly method. The company has not disclosed the aircraft’s customer, weapons, propulsion system or estimated cost.
The four additional vehicles will bring the planned Vectis fleet to five aircraft, including the original prototype. Skunk Works said development work on those additional aircraft is underway and that it plans to provide more information later.