L3Harris Technologies is receiving a $40 million Department of Defense contract. They will deliver 14 Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment, or VAMPIRE multi-purpose weapons systems. This will help strengthen Ukrainian security defense efforts. 

The portable VAMPIRE kit allows Ukraine’s ground forces to target and shoot down enemy drones and defend against ground threats. These systems requested by the DoD are specialized to provide critical defense assets to help Ukraine defend and protect against attacks on civilian infrastructure. 

Luke Savoie, President, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, L3Harris made the following comments. “We’ve invested in procurement, testing and certification since August so VAMPIRE production can begin without delay. We’re committed to supporting a U.S. strategic partner with a robust capability, as the people of Ukraine continue to defend their country and protect their independence.” 

L3Harris will install VAMPIRE kits on U.S. government-provided vehicles for agile combat. These will support the Ukraine battlefield. The contract states that L3Harris will deliver these systems to DoD, starting with four by mid-2023 and the remaining ten near the end of 2023. 

The VAMPIRE prototype was selected in August through the DoD’s $3 billion security assistance package. This fell under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Field testing began in 2021 and continued into 2022 with range and durability testing. 

The VAMPIRE’s mission management system integrates an advanced WESCAM MX-10 RSTA targeting sensor (L3Harris). This allows an operator to quickly and accurately lock onto targets. The low-cost, highly accurate Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System rocket allows for increased lethality for engaging small or soft targets when combined with proximity fuze from L3Harris.

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