Lockheed Martin to build five Vectis stealth drones

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division announced on Monday, September 21, 2026, that it will construct four additional Vectis stealth drone fighters. This self-funded commitment brings the total to five aircraft, adding to the initial prototype already in production. The company expects the first flight of Vectis in late 2027.

The independent build follows the U.S. Air Force decision in June to award Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) airframe contracts to privately held Anduril Industries and General Atomics. Those companies will manufacture the FQ-42 and FQ-44 drones. The Pentagon separated airframes from software, leaving Lockheed Martin among six eligible vendors alongside Anduril, General Atomics, RTX, Shield AI, and Northrop Grumman to compete for upcoming drone software awards later this year.

Vectis is classified as an armed Group 5 stealth drone similar in size to the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. It is engineered to conduct surveillance, counter-air, and strike missions either independently or alongside fifth-generation jets such as the F-35 Lightning II. Lockheed is paying for the development internally, anticipating that future Air Force procurement rounds will broaden beyond the initial winners.

Financially, Lockheed Martin posted $6.3 billion in net profit and $8.7 billion in free cash flow over the trailing 12 months, which represents 38% more than its net earnings. The company has a market capitalization of just over $123 billion, trades at roughly 14 times free cash flow, and offers a 2.6% annual dividend. Analysts surveyed by S&P Global Market Intelligence forecast earnings growth exceeding 19% annually over the next five years.