U.S. Navy Turns to VAMPIRE Counter-Drone Weapon to Defend Littoral Forces Against UAS and USV Threats.

The US Navy has selected L3Harris Technologies’ VAMPIRE counter-unmanned system for littoral defense, adding a modular capability to engage drones and fast attack craft within its integrated C-UxS architecture. The move gives naval forces another defensive layer against growing UAS and USV threats while reducing reliance on more expensive air-defense missiles.

The Navy configuration will be ruggedized for maritime conditions, although L3Harris has not disclosed the variant, quantity, contract value, or delivery schedule. The VAMPIRE family includes the maritime Black Wake variant for crewed and uncrewed vessels, while the baseline architecture combines the WESCAM MX-10D RSTA EO/IR sensor, Widow mission management system, and 70 mm APKWS rockets with an engagement range of up to about six kilometers.

Related News: U.S. Scales VAMPIRE Counter-UAS Production to Boost Low-Cost Air Defense Against Drone Swarms

VAMPIRE could provide the US Navy with an intermediate layer between electronic warfare systems, automatic weapons and more expensive surface-to-air missiles (Picture source: L3 Harris)

L3Harris has disclosed neither the number of systems ordered nor the contract value or delivery schedule. The selection follows a separate US Army order announced in June 2026, valued at up to $106 million. The company also states that VAMPIRE has accumulated more than 350,000 operational hours in Europe since 2023. That experience now provides part of the basis for adapting the system to maritime conditions.

According to a statement published by L3Harris Technologies on September 8, 2026, the configuration intended for the US Navy is being ruggedized to withstand maritime conditions, including humidity, salt exposure, and vibration. It is expected to contribute to the US integrated counter-unmanned systems architecture and address C-UxS defense requirements in littoral areas. The statement, however, does not specify either the variant selected or the final configuration to be delivered to the Navy.

This distinction matters because VAMPIRE now refers to a broader family of systems. L3Harris has expanded the original architecture with additional sensors, precision weapons, electronic jammers, and non-kinetic effectors intended for use across several domains. The range includes the land-based Stalker XR, the airborne Dead Wing, the containerized CASKET, the BAT configuration for base protection, and the Killcode electronic warfare variant. For naval applications, the most directly relevant version is VAMPIRE Black Wake. L3Harris describes it as a maritime configuration intended to reduce engagement costs against small drones and fast attack craft. It can be installed on both crewed and uncrewed vessels. There is currently no indication that Black Wake corresponds exactly to the system ordered by the US Navy, but the variant illustrates how the VAMPIRE family is being adapted for operations at sea.

The baseline configuration is built around a self-contained palletized architecture that can be installed on different vehicles or platforms. L3Harris states that the system can be mounted in a vehicle cargo bed in about two hours by two personnel using standard tools. It uses the WESCAM MX-10D RSTA stabilized electro-optical and infrared turret, mounted on a telescopic mast to provide surveillance, identification, and laser target designation. VAMPIRE is also linked to the Widow Mission Management System, which is compliant with the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control architecture and is designed to integrate sensors, effectors, radios, and navigation functions.

For kinetic engagements, VAMPIRE can employ the 70 mm AGR-20A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System laser-guided rocket. L3Harris pairs the munition with a proximity fuze to improve its effectiveness against small aerial targets without requiring a direct hit. Company documentation gives the current configuration an engagement range of up to about six kilometers. The launcher architecture can also accommodate other laser-guided munitions, providing flexibility depending on the host platform and the type of threat.

At the tactical level, VAMPIRE could provide the US Navy with an intermediate layer between electronic warfare systems, automatic weapons and more expensive surface-to-air missiles. Deployed ashore, on expeditionary platforms or potentially aboard adapted vessels, it could protect naval bases, logistics nodes or units operating near the coast. A maritime configuration such as Black Wake extends this role to light surface threats, including fast uncrewed craft, while retaining a counter-UAS function. Its operational relevance lies in the ability to distribute multiple engagement points within a wider detection and command network.

This development reflects the growing role of unmanned surface vessels, unmanned aerial systems and other uncrewed platforms in naval warfare, where they can support reconnaissance, saturation attacks, strike missions or harassment against ships, ports and coastal infrastructure. Their comparatively low cost and potential use in numbers create a requirement for defensive options that do not rely exclusively on high-value air-defense missiles. VAMPIRE represents one such approach, using an adaptable architecture that can combine kinetic and non-kinetic effects depending on the configuration. For the United States and its allies, the broader challenge is to field littoral defenses able to withstand repeated unmanned attacks without rapidly depleting stocks of more costly interceptors.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.