New artificial intelligence powered-variants of the system add maritime, air and electronic warfare capabilities for defending against small unmanned threats. L3Harris Technologies has unveiled a new generation of its counter-unmanned systems platform that includes specialized land, maritime, air, and electronic warfare variants.
The move reflects the company’s response to growing U.S. and allied demand for more precise defenses against small unmanned aerial systems.
Known as VAMPIRE for vehicle-agnostic modular palletized ISR rocket equipment, the system fires laser guided rockets to destroy drones.
The system can be mounted in truck beds. New variants include the VAMPIRE Black Wake for maritime use and the VAMPIRE Bat for protecting facilities. A third variant called VAMPIRE Casket is a self-contained unit deployed remote locations.
The system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to detect, engage and defeat smaller and more elusive unmanned threats.
L3Harris’ upgrades include incorporating additional sensor capabilities, precision weapons, electronic jammers and non-kinetic effects for use across several combat domains.
The systems have been in use in Europe since 2023.
VAMPIRE is part of an L3Harris initiative launched in August focused on countering unmanned systems.
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