During a media brief on October 8th, L3Harris officially introduced their Naval adaptation of their combat-proven VAMPIRE counter drone system. Adapting VAMPIRE to the Navy’s needs has been an ongoing effort, with the option reportedly eyed since sometime last year.
L3Harris’s Naval VAMPIRE variant is targeted towards the Navy’s ongoing efforts to field cheaper C-UAS systems amidst the rising prevalence of drones in ongoing Naval warfare. VAMPIRE gives vessels the capability to rapidly engage cheap one way drones without expending more expensive missiles such as Raytheon’s RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM).
A VAMPIRE missile pod along with the WESCAM MX-series EO/IR sensor equipping a rendition of a Navy Unmanned Surface Vessel has been depicted amongst the planned future variant that L3Harris has proposed for future adoption. L3Harris has also stated that adoption on larger manned platforms is being considered for further development.
L3Harris signaled that the Naval Variant of VAMPIRE had been under development for some time since the system’s initial inception in response to U.S efforts to supply Ukraine with anti-drone system in 2022. Development of a Naval variant has been recently re-emphasized, with previous internal development efforts being weighted towards additional upgrades to other variants of the system requested by the Army.
About L3Harris’s VAMPIRE C-UAS
Developing and fielding the VAMPIRE system has been an ongoing effort at L3Harris since 2022, with the system designed around targeting airborne unmanned threats. BAE’s Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is utilized as the munition round, a conversion of an existing unguided Hydra-70 2.75 inch diameter rocket, enabling it to be laser guided and allowing it to engage moving and aerial targets.
A number of improvements have been slated to upgrade VAMPIRE including integration of radar for target search and track, integration of kinetic weapons such as heavy and light machine guns, integration of non-kinetic weapons such as jammers and other forms of electronic attack, and integration with AI which extends the detection range and improves operator reaction time. L3Harris has also shared information regarding their acquisition of a new production facility in Huntsville, Alabama, allowing production to reach 20-40 systems per month.
VAMPIRE has been combat tested in Ukraine, with the system reportedly downing hundreds of targets during it’s service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Partner nations alongside Ukraine have received VAMPIRE and it’s subsystems with L3Harris stating the over 8,000 WESCAM sensors have been delivered to a number of additional countries.
