During a live-fire test at a military base in Poland, VAMPIRE destroyed targets for the first time firing the FZ275 from an FZ605 rocket launcher. The demonstration was part of a series of events which included integration of L3Harris’ advanced WESCAM MX™-10D electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) targeting system and Widow® mission management software with Thales’ rocket and launcher. The integrated system effectively hit multiple ground targets, showcasing its high accuracy. The demo also proved the speed at which L3Harris can integrate new effectors with VAMPIRE to meet customers’ mission needs, such as border security in Europe.
"Continued demonstrations like this one in Poland provide our customers insight into the range of solutions we can provide to meet an evolving defense landscape and support Europe’s Readiness 2030 initiative,” said Tom Kirkland, President, Targeting & Sensor Systems, L3Harris. “Our multi-modal VAMPIRE system – with advanced sensors used in combination with multiple munition options – provides customers with a formidable and reliable solution that can easily be used aboard a variety of platforms.”
Building the VAMPIRE Family of Systems
In 2025, L3Harris expanded its VAMPIRE system with the announcement of six new specialized variants for land, maritime, air and electronic warfare operations. The expansion provides customers with a broad range of bespoke options to support their needs to defeat unmanned threats accurately and affordably. L3Harris has incorporated additional sensor capabilities, precision weapons, electronic jammers and other non-kinetic effects for use across several domains, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to more swiftly detect and engage targets.
Leveraging Advanced Targeting Systems and AI
WESCAM MX-Series EO/IR multi-spectral systems provide VAMPIRE with always-searching eyes. Configured to the mission, the systems are engineered for high reliability and stabilization. In 2025, L3Harris and Shield AI successfully demonstrated an AI-enabled drone detection system that can more quickly detect hostile drones at longer ranges than current systems, even if the drones are partially obscured by buildings or clouds. These AI/ML technologies provide operators enhanced abilities to observe, orient, decide and act in increasingly complex mission environments.
Globally, L3Harris has delivered more than 8,000 WESCAM MX-Series ISR and targeting systems to customers in nearly 90 countries on more than 280 platforms, including variants of the VAMPIRE counter-UAS solution.
