OFFBEAT

L3Harris supplies system that can down incoming drones with laser-guided rockets

The US Army has awarded a contract to defense biz L3Harris for its Vampire counter-drone system to support an urgent requirement to protect against hostile airborne threats.

As drones continue to be a danger to ground forces, the Army’s order, worth up to $106 million, will form part of its layered defense approach against remotely operated and autonomous aerial vehicles.

The Vampire system is described by the firm as a completely self-contained platform that delivers a precision strike capability against drones and remotely piloted aircraft.

It can be fitted to vehicles, such as mounting on the back of a truck, and combines a telescopic mast with an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) stabilized targeting system. It also has a launcher for a variety of what the military likes to call effectors – projectiles or missiles that typically go bang.

In the case of Vampire, this will often be the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), comprising US-made Hydra 70 2.75-inch (70 mm) rockets with an added laser homing capability.

This seems to have become the (relatively) low-cost weapon of choice for downing certain types of drones, and is now being fitted to British Typhoon fighter jets deployed to the middle east, for example.

However, L3Harris says that Vampire has a modular plug-in design that allows for the rapid addition of other sensors, effectors, and radio management systems.

The system can engage aerial targets up to six kilometers (3.8 miles) away. Its laser designator can highlight targets, while also coordinating with other platforms, allowing for a distributed approach to target engagement.

“We’ve worked with the Army to understand their needs for new counter-UxS systems that can be quickly assembled, delivered, set-up and fired,” said L3Harris president, for Targeting & Sensor Systems, Tom Kirkland.

“Vampire is effective at hunting and engaging drone threats affordably, which enables US armed forces to sustain reliable defense of its personnel and infrastructure.”

We asked L3Harris how many systems the US Army will be getting for its $106 million.

The company says it developed Vampire at the beginning of the war in Ukraine to provide a low-cost solution to help eliminate Russian drone threats. It has since ramped up production at a new production line in Huntsville, Alabama, in a response to the growing need it sees from the US and allies to counter the drone threat. 

L3Harris says the system has so far logged more than 350,000 operational hours in support of European combat operations since 2023. ®