Direct proof of use
VAMPIRE appears in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through U.S. security assistance to Ukraine and subsequent Ukrainian fielding. The U.S. Department of Defense listed VAMPIRE counter-unmanned aerial systems in the August 24, 2022 Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package, separating that procurement path from drawdown aid already in U.S. stocks.
L3Harris announced in January 2023 that it had received a $40 million Department of Defense contract for 14 VAMPIRE systems for Ukrainian security defense efforts. The company said the kits would be installed on U.S. government-provided vehicles for Ukrainian battlefield support and would let Ukrainian ground forces target enemy drones and defend against adversary ground threats.
Sources: Nearly $3 Billion in Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine, L3Harris Receives VAMPIRE Contract for Ukrainian Security Defense Efforts
Timeline
The documented sequence begins with selection in August 2022, followed by the January 2023 contract and delivery milestones later that year. NAVAIR reported on December 6, 2023 that the Navy would complete delivery that month and that the first four systems had been delivered in six months.
NAVAIR described the systems as rocket-launching platforms for Ukraine's ground forces, using a sensor ball and four-shot APKWS launchers on flatbed-capable trucks. The same report said early reports indicated immediate impact in Ukraine's wartime effort and stated that all 14 systems would be delivered to Ukraine's ground forces for neutralizing UAVs and defending against ground threats.
Sources: Navy to complete rapid delivery of new counter-UAS system to Ukraine
Operational role
In Ukrainian service, VAMPIRE is documented as a mobile counter-UAS and force-protection system rather than a general artillery weapon. Its battlefield role is tied to defending Ukrainian personnel and infrastructure against unmanned aerial threats while retaining a limited ground-threat engagement role.
L3Harris said in December 2023 that all contracted systems had been installed and delivered to the Department of Defense in support of Ukrainian defense efforts. The company also stated that VAMPIRE enabled Ukrainian ground forces to target and destroy enemy drones and defend against adversary ground threats, with APKWS rockets selected specifically for Ukraine and a proximity-fuze path intended to improve engagement of ground and aerial targets.
Sources: L3Harris' VAMPIRE System Helps U.S. Navy Fill Ukraine's Counter UAS Gap with Speed and Agility, Navy to complete rapid delivery of new counter-UAS system to Ukraine
System configuration in Ukraine
The Ukraine configuration was described as a palletized kit installed on vehicles, combining a WESCAM MX-10D RSTA targeting sensor, a mission-management system, and APKWS-class laser-guided rockets. NAVAIR described the delivered VAMPIRE as a compact platform with a sensor ball and four-shot APKWS launchers designed to mount to trucks with flatbeds.
The public sources do not identify individual Ukrainian units, exact operating locations, or specific drone engagements. The direct record supports transfer, delivery, fielding by Ukrainian ground forces, and reported wartime effect, but not a verified incident-by-incident kill tally.
Sources: L3Harris Receives VAMPIRE Contract for Ukrainian Security Defense Efforts, Navy to complete rapid delivery of new counter-UAS system to Ukraine
