Direct proof of use
Business Insider reported on October 6, 2025 that Thales Belgium's FZ123 airburst warhead and its 70 mm rocket delivery system were being deployed in Ukraine. The report identified Ukrainian VAMPIRE systems as current launch platforms and said some versions were also fired by Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters retrofitted for NATO-standard munitions.
The documented role is counter-UAV air defense rather than general air-to-ground fire. Business Insider described the FZ123 as an anti-drone warhead fitted to Thales 70 mm rockets for use against Russian Shahed-type one-way attack drones, while Thales' FZ275 LGR product page identifies the guided rocket as a semi-active laser-guided 70 mm munition compatible with standard FZ launchers.
Sources: Business Insider Ukraine FZ123 rocket report, Laser guided rocket FZ275 LGR
Timeline
In November 2024, Ukrainian reporting described a memorandum between Ukraine and Thales Belgium to organize joint production of 70 mm counter-UAV missiles. UNITED24 Media, citing Ukraine's minister for strategic industries, said the cooperation was intended to strengthen Ukrainian air defense and noted that the FZ275 LGR was the likely missile family involved.
By October 2025, Business Insider reported that Thales Belgium was already deploying the FZ123-equipped rockets in Ukraine and that Ukrainian demand exceeded the company's production capacity. L3Harris later announced in February 2026 that VAMPIRE had successfully fired Thales Belgium's 70 mm FZ275 laser-guided rocket from an FZ605 launcher during a live-fire test in Poland, confirming the VAMPIRE-FZ275 integration path that Ukrainian reporting had linked to counter-drone use.
Sources: UNITED24 Thales Ukraine interceptor agreement, Business Insider Ukraine FZ123 rocket report, L3Harris VAMPIRE FZ275 firing
Operational role
In Ukrainian service, the FZ275 LGR-linked system is reported as a point-defense and force-protection weapon against drones rather than a strategic interceptor. Business Insider described truck-mounted VAMPIRE batteries and helicopter launches as short-range options for intercepting Russian drones, with the rocket requiring target illumination until impact or detonation.
The public record separates confirmed deployment from unreported quantities. Business Insider reported that Thales declined to disclose how many warheads had been sent to Kyiv, while also reporting that Thales aimed to produce about 3,500 laser-guided rockets by the end of 2025 and increase annual capacity in 2026. Those production figures indicate supply scale, not a confirmed number of Ukrainian combat firings.
Sources: Business Insider Ukraine FZ123 rocket report, Laser guided rocket FZ275 LGR
