# Lockheed expands Vectis drone prototype fleet to five aircraft

_Published Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 2:08 PM EDT · Robotics · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Full-scale mock-up of Vectis — Primary](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/dd4578c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1260+0+45/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2Fb9%2F79%2Fb439882c4896af7d7c1139ea0646%2Fhslvelabeaalzrt.jpeg&na.image_optimisation=0)

Lockheed Martin has unveiled a full-scale mock-up of its Vectis collaborative-combat aircraft and said it is expanding development production to five airframes. The company says the in-house-funded autonomous drone program will use the additional prototypes for flight testing, modular-architecture refinement and production-scale demonstrations. Its maiden flight is scheduled for the end of 2027; range, ceiling, weight and engine details remain undisclosed.

## Sources

- [New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News](https://newatlas.com/military/mystery-vectis-loyal-wingman-breaks-cover/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/kfCD34-0kv6FNXzFi-our9
Published: 2026-09-20T18:08:00.111Z
Story chronology: 2026-09-20T17:03:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-09-20T20:01:29.818Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)