The Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletised intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) is a portable muti-purpose weapon system developed by L3Harris, a US-based aerospace and defence technology company.
Designed to fit in any tactical or non-tactical vehicles (NTV) with a flat surface, the modular and palletised system can provide ground forces with a rapid, low-cost, and effective weapon deployment solution.
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In October 2025, L3Harris announced an expansion of its VAMPIRE system to include dedicated variants for land, maritime, air and electronic-warfare operations.
Development and testing of VAMPIRE system
L3Harris developed an early prototype of the VAMPIRE system in 2021 and started field testing in the same year.
The company continued range and durability tests of the system and submitted an advanced prototype to the US Department of Defense (DoD) in April 2022.
VAMPIRE debuted and successfully demonstrated its capability at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) held at Tampa, Florida, in May 2022.
The muti-purpose weapon system was selected as part of the US Government’s $3bn security assistance package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) in August 2022, following which the company started investing more in procurement, testing and certification to expedite the production of the VAMPIRE system.
VAMPIRE system design and features
The VAMPIRE system is designed to be a totally self-contained system, which can integrate different sensors and weapons packages depending on mission needs.
It can be configured with the combat-proven advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) or other laser-guided munitions, allowing special operations and light forces to quickly track, laser-designate and engage ground and air targets beyond the range of the conventional weapons normally used. Combined with L3Harris’ proximity fuze, the weapon system can deliver increased blast effectiveness and lethality.
The system has been integrated with L3Harris’ WESCAM MX-10 RSTA fully digital, high-definition (HD), multi-sensor and multi-spectral sighting system to support reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) missions. The HD resolution and 360° vantage points of the sighting system can help with wide field-of-view situational awareness to accomplish long-range covert missions.
The VAMPIRE system can be installed on any military or civilian vehicle having a cargo bed in just two hours. It can be equipped with the APKWS or other laser-guided munitions to provide precise strike capabilities against enemy drones and adversary ground threats.
The weapon system can be operated by just one person, and the modular and portable design allows the operator to hide, move and fire in quick succession.
It comes with its own power supply solution and doesn’t require a 24V alternator on the vehicles on which it is mounted.
VAMPIRE system variants
Building on the core VAMPIRE system, L3Harris has added enhanced sensor suites, precision weapons, electronic jamming and non-kinetic effects for use across multiple domains. The system employs artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to detect, engage and defeat small, elusive unmanned threats more rapidly.
In the same month, L3Harris fitted its VAMPIRE counter‑uncrewed system to a GM Defence infantry squad vehicle (ISV), demonstrating a mobile capability for neutralising drone threats.
The GM Defence ISV has been specifically engineered to meet US Army requirements for rapid deployment.
With strong off‑road performance, the ISV markedly enhances tactical mobility across a variety of military operations. The vehicle is straightforward to maintain and highly configurable to accommodate diverse mission and operational requirements.
Orders and deliveries of the VAMPIRE system
L3Harris secured a contract worth $40m from the DoD in January 2023 to deliver 14 VAMPIRE systems to the Ukrainian security forces.
The contract was awarded as part of the US Government’s $3bn security assistance package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) announced in August 2022.
The agreement called for the delivery of a total of 14 VAMPIRE systems for installation on vehicles supplied by the US Government and configured with APKWS for deployment to help protect the country’s civilian infrastructure against drone attacks and adversary ground threats.
In June 2025, L3Harris secured a further contract from the US DoD to supply additional VAMPIRE systems. This follow-up order expands on the initial delivery and installation of VAMPIRE systems carried out in 2023 to support operations in Europe.