Lockheed Martin's "magical, game-changing" secret project

[Dawes]

Whatever could it be?

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/lockheed-martin-teases-magical-classified-015749900.html

[Ivanhoe]

I probably shouldn't divulge this, but the working title of the project is the Multi-Role Senatorial Aide Project.

 

[Sherman]

Well they had to come up with something in order to change the subject from how they are hemorrhaging cash, whilst weapons are being snapped up by customers globally like goldfish in a piranha tank.

After they finished the earnings call, a planning meeting convened featuring Cristal, blow and "other necessary planning materials".

I fear I chose the wrong career path.

[Stuart Galbraith]

The first 1 Billion Dollar toilet seat.

 

 

[Ivanhoe]

On 8/11/2025 at 2:10 PM, Sherman said:

I fear I chose the wrong career path.

We all do.

The only thing more shameful than being a high-dollar Congressional whore is being a low-dollar defense contractor whore.

And the only thing more shameful than being a low-dollar defense contractor whore is being a low-dollar academic grant whore.

[Josh]

The best guesses from people I think are in the know are AIM-260 or a new UAV ISR platform, with the former being preferred. Technically that project would not be skunk works since it is in the aero platform division, not missile systems, but skunk works has done missile work in the past. But the platform is classified, lost money in a fixed price contract, but projected to be supported (and make money) for decades while also being available to international customers (per the quotes from the phone call). That speaks to a high volume future production rate of something with a relatively low tech sensitivity level, if export is already envisioned. Alternative it is a very high end system with a lot of support/update costs, but that makes less sense if international customers are potentially involved.

[lucklucky]

4 hours ago, Josh said:

The best guesses from people I think are in the know are AIM-260 or a new UAV ISR platform, with the former being preferred. Technically that project would not be skunk works since it is in the aero platform division, not missile systems, but skunk works has done missile work in the past. But the platform is classified, lost money in a fixed price contract, but projected to be supported (and make money) for decades while also being available to international customers (per the quotes from the phone call). That speaks to a high volume future production rate of something with a relatively low tech sensitivity level, if export is already envisioned. Alternative it is a very high end system with a lot of support/update costs, but that makes less sense if international customers are potentially involved.

AIM 260 seems too simple.

[Josh]

5 hours ago, lucklucky said:

AIM 260 seems too simple.

It checks all the boxes, except that it is uncommon for Skunk works to be involved in missiles.

[Stuart Galbraith]

I cant see a LR missile in very high demand. Much of that market is already taken by Meteor.

I suspect its a UAV.

[RETAC21]

On 7/28/2025 at 5:12 PM, Dawes said:

Whatever could it be?

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/lockheed-martin-teases-magical-classified-015749900.html

Magical and cheap?

[lucklucky]

2 hours ago, RETAC21 said:

Magical and cheap?

Not stealth, so it can't be. Worse, it is even very cheap.

Edited August 15, 2025 by lucklucky

[Stuart Galbraith]

3 minutes ago, lucklucky said:

Not stealth, so it can't be. Worse, it is even very cheap.

ooh, good point. Nothing here to keep the arsenal of democracy ticking.

 

[RETAC21]

2 hours ago, lucklucky said:

Not stealth, so it can't be. Worse, it is even very cheap.

Wrong, have you ever seen a witch flying around? me neither. Full stealth.

[lucklucky]

Touche

[bfng3569]

 

https://www.twz.com/air/skunk-works-unveils-vectis-air-combat-drone-that-puts-a-premium-on-stealth

 

[Dawes]

So...magical and game-changing? 

[sunday]

LockMart was working in a nuclear fusion reactor, also.

[bfng3569]

19 hours ago, Dawes said:

So...magical and game-changing? 

magically affordable....?

[Ivanhoe]

The safer bet is "magically profitable."

That said, the artist's conception above is one beautiful airframe. Contrast with the MQ-1 and MQ-9, which look like the work of a 12 year old with leftover Revell parts. 

 

[Josh]

It seems like the only thing different about this vs YFQ-42/44 is the comparatively heavy emphasis on LO. That rendering pretty clearly is non afterburning, so it is not even clear it is a supersonic design (though that wing sweep tends to suggest it). Cost, production speed, and development time clearly are the biggest drivers of the CCA program, so presumably they think they have achieved a significantly higher level of performance for similar cost compared to other products in this niche. We shall see; there are so few details that it seems more like a stock pump then a significant program. About the only thing that builds any confidence in an LM product for me is that it has a skunk works origin.