'Engineered for affordability': Lockheed Martin says Vectis stealth combat drone family will come before 2028…
- Lockheed Vectis carries its air-to-air and strike weapons inside the aircraft
- Lockheed expects the first Vectis prototype to fly in 2027
- The aircraft measures roughly 34 feet long with a 38-foot wingspan
Lockheed Martin has released promotional footage offering a clearer look at Vectis, its proposed stealth Collaborative Combat Aircraft for future operations.
The company says the aircraft is intended for autonomous missions alongside crewed fighters, including the F-35 and future combat platforms.
Lockheed expects the first Vectis prototype to fly in 2027, with four additional aircraft now entering development and testing.
Vectis reveals its internal weapons arrangement
New computer-generated imagery shows a deeply recessed intake above the fuselage, indicating significant attention to the aircraft's signature characteristics.
The footage also depicts Vectis launching AIM-120 missiles and GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb IIs from internal weapons compartments.
Keeping those weapons inside the aircraft allows the illustrated configuration to avoid exposing them on...
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