US defence firm L3Harris Technologies has announced the successful upgrade of its VAMPIRE air defence system to counter loitering munitions and suicide drones, following live-fire trials conducted in Poland. The tests involved the use of FZ275 and APKWS rockets equipped with proximity fuzes, demonstrating enhanced interception capability against low-cost aerial threats.
The Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) system is platform-independent and can be installed on virtually any vehicle within two hours. It integrates the WESCAM MX-10D RSTA sensor turret with the AI-enabled Widow mission management system, enabling accurate classification and tracking of targets in complex operational environments.
The upgraded configuration significantly strengthens short-range air defence against inexpensive unmanned systems, offering a cost-effective response to evolving battlefield challenges.
With its rapid integration capability, advanced sensing suite and proximity-fuzed precision rockets, VAMPIRE is emerging as a rare benchmark in mobile point-defence systems, reshaping short-range air defence doctrine while substantially reducing operational costs.
