L3Harris Technologies has expanded its VAMPIRE system to include new variants designed for land, maritime air and electronic warfare operations, the company announced this week. The development seeks to meet the growing demand for flexible and lower-cost options to counter small unmanned systems, which have become a persistent threat on the battlefield.
Originally fielded in 2023, the baseline VAMPIRE platform has already been used in European combat operations, where it has reportedly shot down hundreds of hostile drones. The system, a self-contained platform, combines reconnaissance and precision strike capabilities tailored to defend against small drones and remotely piloted aircraft.
L3Harris said the expanded versions now integrate additional sensor capabilities, electronic jammers, precision weapons and non-kinetic defeat methods. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also being applied to improve detection and targeting of small, hard-to-track unmanned systems.
The company positions VAMPIRE as a lower-cost alternative to traditional missile-based air defense, noting that cost-effectiveness has become a central concern as militaries contend with large volumes of inexpensive drones.
The development is part of L3Harris’s broader Counter-Unmanned Systems initiative, which the company says will continue to evolve with a focus on affordability and adaptability to meet the rising global demand for counter-drone solutions.
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Post Image Credit: L3Harris Technologies
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