L3Harris Develops Naval Variant of VAMPIRE C-UAS System for U.S. Navy

L3Harris Technologies is advancing a Naval variant of its VAMPIRE Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) to support the U.S. Navy’s requirement for cost-effective anti-drone capabilities. The system is being developed to enable ships and unmanned surface vessels to counter inexpensive, one-way attack drones without using high-value interceptors such as the Raytheon RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM).

The Naval VAMPIRE integrates a missile launcher pod and a WESCAM MX-series Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor, providing ships with an affordable, modular, and easily deployable defense option. L3Harris has demonstrated concept renderings showing the system installed on Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), indicating potential deployment across both manned and unmanned naval platforms.

Background and Development

The Naval version builds on the VAMPIRE system first developed in 2022, originally created to meet U.S. defense requirements for supplying Ukraine with effective anti-drone solutions. L3Harris confirmed that work on the naval adaptation has been underway for some time, but recent attention has shifted back toward this variant as drone threats grow in maritime environments. Earlier internal efforts were focused on refining land-based variants requested by the U.S. Army.

VAMPIRE System Overview

The VAMPIRE (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) is a modular, rapidly deployable C-UAS platform designed to detect, track, and engage small airborne threats. The system’s main weapon is BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) — a guided version of the Hydra-70 (2.75-inch) rocket. The APKWS uses a laser guidance kit to transform unguided rockets into precision munitions, giving the VAMPIRE the ability to effectively engage aerial and moving targets at low cost.

The core components of VAMPIRE include:

• APKWS missile launcher for precision engagement.

• WESCAM MX-series EO/IR sensor for passive detection and tracking.

• Integrated control station for operator interface and targeting.

• Vehicle-agnostic mounting system, allowing rapid installation on various platforms, including trucks, tactical vehicles, and now naval vessels.

Planned Upgrades and Enhancements

L3Harris has announced several ongoing upgrades to enhance VAMPIRE’s capabilities:

• Radar integration for improved target detection and tracking.

• Kinetic add-ons, including machine guns for close-in defense.

• Non-kinetic systems, such as electronic warfare (EW) jammers for disrupting hostile drone communications.

• Artificial Intelligence integration to expand detection range, automate threat classification, and improve operator reaction time.

Additionally, L3Harris has opened a production facility in Huntsville, Alabama, enabling output of 20–40 systems per month to meet growing domestic and international demand.

Combat Record and Global Adoption

The VAMPIRE system has been combat tested in Ukraine, where it has reportedly achieved a high success rate against drone and loitering munition threats. According to L3Harris, the system has neutralized hundreds of targets during its operational deployment. Partner nations allied with Ukraine have also procured the system or its subcomponents.

To date, over 8,000 WESCAM sensors — a key element of the VAMPIRE system — have been delivered to global customers, underscoring its widespread adoption and production maturity.

The Naval VAMPIRE represents L3Harris’s effort to extend its proven land-based C-UAS solution into the maritime domain. With drone activity increasingly affecting naval operations, the new variant aims to provide a scalable, cost-efficient defense layer for ships and autonomous vessels.

As the U.S. Navy continues exploring methods to integrate affordable counter-drone systems, L3Harris’s Naval VAMPIRE is positioned to play a central role in defending against emerging unmanned threats at sea.