Lockheed Martin's new stealth drone could redefine air combat
Lockheed Martin just introduced the Vectis, a new stealth drone designed to team up with jets like the F-35 Lightning II.
The Vectis is still in the prototype phase (it hasn't flown yet), but it's built to soar above 18,000 feet and packs a sleek delta wing shape for extra stealth.
Think of it as an autonomous wingman that could take on some pretty tough missions.
Vectis can do a lot of things
Vectis isn't just about flying under the radar—it's built for all kinds of jobs, from precision strikes and electronic warfare to intel gathering and air combat support.
Size-wise, it fits right between a big missile and an F-16 fighter jet.
Instead of keeping it exclusive to US military contracts, Lockheed Martin plans to offer Vectis more widely with an open system design—meaning upgrades are easier and you're not locked into one vendor.
It's all part of making high-tech drones more flexible (and hopefully more affordable) for future air battles.