US Navy selects VAMPIRE to protect its coast against enemies; check how it works

The US Navy has selected the VAMPIRE anti-drone system built by L3Harris Technologies to defend its maritime area, as per company’s press release. The counter-unmanned systems (C-UxS) is intended to support the service’s integrated defence architecture in coastal and littoral areas. The system is intended to give the Navy another option for detecting and engaging drones and other unmanned threats.

VAMPIRE is designed as a vehicle- and platform-agnostic system, allowing it to be installed on different platforms. L3Harris describes it as a modular, palletised system that combines surveillance, targeting and precision-strike functions.

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VAMPIRE adds a short-range counter-drone option

The system is built around the WESCAM MX-10D RSTA electro-optical/infrared sensor mounted on a telescopic mast. According to L3Harris, the sensor provides high-definition surveillance and laser target designation, while the company’s Widow Mission Management System handles command and control and allows additional sensors and effectors to be integrated.

VAMPIRE can be equipped with Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) or other laser-guided munitions, giving it a kinetic option for engaging aerial, ground and maritime targets. L3Harris says the system can be installed and reloaded rapidly and is self-contained.

VAMPIRE has multiple variants for different needs:

The VAMPIRE Stalker XR is a land-based version with a larger weapons load and longer-range munitions, according to the company. VAMPIRE Black Wake is designed for maritime use against small drones and fast attack watercraft and can be operated from crewed or uncrewed vessels.

The VAMPIRE Dead Wing variant is designed to be deployed from aircraft while airborne, while the CASKET version is a containerised system intended for rapid deployment to remote locations. The BAT variant is aimed at protecting military bases and critical infrastructure and combines automatic weapons with non-kinetic effects.

The VAMPIRE Killcode configuration takes a different approach by using electronic warfare rather than relying on precision-guided munitions. L3Harris says the variant uses jammers to disrupt or disable threats.

The company says the wider VAMPIRE family incorporates additional sensors, precision weapons, electronic jammers and non-kinetic effectors, with artificial intelligence and machine learning intended to speed the detection and engagement of small unmanned threats.

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Why VAMPIRE matters for US coastal defence

The Navy’s selection places VAMPIRE within a broader effort to build layered counter-unmanned capabilities for littoral environments. Such areas can expose ships, coastal facilities and forces operating near shore to drones and other unmanned platforms.

A modular system such as VAMPIRE can provide an additional layer by combining sensing, target designation and different effectors on the same platform. Its ability to operate from different vehicles and vessels also gives the Navy flexibility in how the system is deployed.

L3Harris is also delivering VAMPIRE systems to the US Army, while developing additional capabilities around the system. The company’s latest Navy selection adds a maritime dimension to the VAMPIRE family as the US military looks for more flexible ways to counter increasingly widespread unmanned threats.