L3Harris Technologies has announced that it has received a $40 million US Department of Defense (DoD) contract to deliver 14 Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) multi-purpose weapon systems to strengthen Ukrainian security defense efforts.
According to the company, the portable VAMPIRE kit will allow Ukraine ground forces to target and shoot down enemy drones and defend against adversary ground threats. The systems ordered by DoD are tailored to help Ukraine protect against attacks on civilian infrastructure.
“We’ve invested in procurement, testing and certification since August so VAMPIRE production can begin without delay,” said Luke Savoie, President, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, L3Harris. “We’re committed to supporting a US strategic partner with a robust capability, as the people of Ukraine continue to defend their country and protect their independence.”
Under the DoD contract, L3Harris will install VAMPIRE kits on US government-provided vehicles for agile combat support. The contract calls for L3Harris to deliver four VAMPIRE systems by mid-2023 and ten more by the end of 2023.
The VAMPIRE prototype, submitted to DoD in April, was selected in August as part of DoD’s $3 billion security assistance package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The company began field testing in 2021 and continued range and durability tests in summer 2022.
The VAMPIRE’s mission management system integrates an advanced WESCAM MX-10 RSTA targeting sensor with its weapons station, allowing an operator to quickly and accurately engage targets.