VAMPIRE missile system for Ukraine. Simple, cheap and not very useful
VAMPIRE complex in combat position
As part of the next package of military-technical assistance, the United States is going to transfer VAMPIRE anti-aircraft missile systems from L3Harris, as well as ammunition for them, to the Kyiv regime. With the help of such equipment, it is planned to strengthen the air defense of the near zone, as well as improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian army to combat unmanned aerial vehicles.
In a new package
The next package of military-technical assistance to Ukraine was approved by Washington on August 24. This time, special attention was paid to air defense systems. Thus, the package provides for the production and supply of a certain number of full-fledged NASAMS air defense systems, and also includes specialized tools for combating UAVs.
Just to fight drones proposed missile system VAMPIRE (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment), developed and supplied by the American company L3Harris. In addition, the package mentions laser-guided missiles of an unnamed type. Perhaps this is ammunition for the new air defense system.
The number of complexes of a new type and ammunition for it is not available in open documents and messages. In addition, the main technical features of such assistance, etc., are not reported. Probably, such issues will begin to be clarified later, as was the case with other deliveries.
The organization of deliveries and their timing raises questions. So, it is not known whether there are complexes for delivery, or whether they have yet to be manufactured. At the same time, in the case of NASAMS air defense systems, it is reported that Ukraine will receive new-made products, the assembly of which will take about two years. Perhaps the VAMPIRE complexes are also not ready for transfer.
The degree of readiness of technology obviously affects the timing of the transfer. Depending on this factor, shipping may start in the coming days or weeks, or in a few months. Apparently, this issue will be clarified only after the real start of deliveries. What will happen by this time and how the situation will change is a big question.
Simplified multi-purpose complex
In the new assistance package, the L3Harris VAMPIRE missile system is considered as a specialized tool for combating UAVs, but in fact it is a multi-purpose system with a wide range of tasks. With the help of regular missiles, it is capable of hitting various ground and air targets, incl. moving. At the same time, the complex is characterized by extreme simplicity of production, installation and operation.
The main features of the complex are reflected in its full name. Thus, a VAMPIRE product leaves the factory on one standard shipping pallet. Such a container contains all the means intended for installation on a carrier. Depending on their needs, the customer can choose one or another configuration of the complex.
Any suitable ground platform, ranging from pickup trucks, can be used as a base for the missile system. A reconnaissance and firing module is installed on the existing cargo area, and a control panel and other devices are mounted in the cockpit. In addition, the complex is connected to the electrical system of the carrier.
The development company claims that the installation of the VAMPIRE complex on the platform takes only two hours and is carried out by two mechanics. In doing so, they must use a standard set of tools available in any garage. Special equipment is not required.
Main Components
The reconnaissance and firing module of the VAMPIRE complex is a lightweight frame made of a metal profile with target equipment. A telescopic mast with an optical-electronic station and a missile launcher are installed side by side on it. Both tools are controlled only remotely.
In the basic configuration, the complex includes a WESCAM MX-10 UES. Such a "ball" has all the necessary channels and allows you to search for ground or air targets at all operating ranges of the complex. There is also a laser rangefinder-target designator for the use of weapons.
The launcher has a swivel base and an oscillating rail package. The launch tubes have a diameter of 70 mm and are designed for AGR-20 APKWS guided missiles. The launch is carried out in almost any direction with the required elevation angle.
ECO and launcher close-up
The APKWS missile is a modernized version of the widely used unguided Hydra 70 projectile. The original missile retains its original warhead and engine, but is equipped with a control unit with a semi-active laser homing head and rudders. After that, the product is able to aim at an object illuminated by a target designator laser. For such guidance, the QUO is declared at the level of 0,5 m.
L3Harris does not specify the firing range of the AGR-20 missile from the ground platform. Aircraft, giving additional acceleration, can apply such weapon over a distance of more than 10 km. For helicopters, this parameter is half as much. Apparently, the firing range of VAMPIRE in all modes is even lower.
The fire control system is made on the basis of a tablet computer in a secure design. A navigation device, a simplified control panel and devices for controlling the OES and PU are connected to it. Using the remote control, the operator can inspect the surrounding area and search for targets, and then fire. The technical features of the SLA and the complex as a whole make it possible to operate in the ground-to-air and ground-to-ground modes.
Practical value
It is easy to see that the L3Harris VAMPIRE multi-purpose missile system is mainly of technical interest. Its creators managed to develop and implement an interesting concept of the weapon system that is as simple as possible in all respects. At the same time, the resulting sample has minimal practical value and is unlikely to be of interest to serious customers.
The advantages of the VAMPIRE product include simplicity of design, low cost and ease of use. Such complexes can be produced in the required quantities and at minimal cost, and then placed on suitable platforms. Preparation for operation and subsequent application will not cause any particular difficulties. At the same time, the complex uses a modified version of one of the most common missiles. In theory, all this allows you to quickly and with limited spending create a large "fleet" of self-propelled missile systems.
The course towards simplification has led to the emergence of several characteristic problems. Thus, the use of an unprotected vehicle dramatically reduces resistance to return fire. ECO as the only means of surveillance limits the ability to detect targets. The selected missile, in turn, when used on the ground, has a minimum range and sharply limits the combat capabilities of the complex, and also increases the risks for it. At the same time, ready-to-use ammunition is limited to only four missiles.
VAMPIRE is offered as a means to combat a variety of targets on the ground and in the air. However, the selected ammunition casts doubt on the effectiveness of such an application. Thus, the existing warheads for Hydra 70 missiles are no longer sufficient to combat modern tanks or fortified structures. Shooting at air targets also raises questions. Even the presence of a laser guidance system does not guarantee the ability to destroy high-speed and / or maneuverable targets.
Benefits and their acquirers
In general, the VAMPIRE complex has a specific appearance and a special combination of tactical and technical characteristics. Finding a suitable tactical niche for such a model is not easy. Of course, if we are talking about a full-fledged army with all the necessary means and systems. In this case, the complex cannot count on the role of supplement or replacement for existing samples.
However, in the case of Ukraine, everything is simpler. Since February, its armed formations have suffered heavy losses in equipment and weapons. For any noticeable restoration of the fleet and the lost combat potential, any available foreign-made samples are now used. The decisive factor is the very fact of their presence, and not the characteristics and real potential.
It is easy to see that such a situation unequivocally suits only the American side. The Pentagon has the opportunity to re-utilize the allocated budget, and L3Harris and its subcontractors receive lucrative contracts for the production of new equipment. In addition, the VAMPIRE developers are probably counting on good publicity. However, the experience of recent months shows that the new complexes will be successfully destroyed by the allied forces, and their reputation will be damaged.
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