A fighter pilot deploying a team rather than a single aircraft: that is the idea behind Vectis, an uncrewed jet designed to fly independently or alongside an F-35. Lockheed Martin shows what that flying partner is intended to look like.
The video is a design visualisation. The actual aircraft is being developed by Skunk Works, its advanced aircraft projects division. The 14 September update targets the prototype’s first flight for late 2027.
The shape differs from a conventional fighter, with broad, angular wings and no conventional tail surfaces. The animation shows several aircraft flying together. The central idea is that additional aircraft need not each carry their own pilot.
Such a partner is intended to take on tasks and give a pilot more options. Vectis is being developed for multiple mission types. Actual capabilities will depend on its sensors, payload and mission software.
Adaptable architecture matters here. The design should evolve with new software and equipment, avoiding the need for a completely new aircraft for every different task.
Skunk Works is adding four aircraft to the development programme. The company says it completed the first digital build after six months and released the first part after eight. A full-scale model now also makes the shape visible outside a computer.
The interesting shift is the pilot’s role: from flying one aircraft to assigning tasks across several machines. Vectis is intended to bring that closer; planned flight tests will mark the transition from animation to real aircraft.
