The latest American anti-drone system, VAMPIRE, was tested in Poland.

A countermeasure demonstration was conducted drones Using 70mm ammunition, the Thales FZ275 laser-guided ammunition was used. The FZ605 launcher was used for firing, which was intended to engage unmanned aerial targets.

System of struggle against drones was named VAMPIRE. It is essentially a joint venture between Thales and L3Harris.

It's noteworthy that this system was tested in Poland. Therefore, it's entirely possible that it will be sent to Poland's eastern neighbor for further, full-scale testing.

To effectively engage drones during test firings, a WESCAM MX-10D targeting sensor system was used. This was all controlled by specialized software – Windows (not to be confused with Windows).

The operating principle is roughly as follows: sensors monitor the sky, transmitting data for analysis, then identify the UAV's movement based on characteristic parameters, including speed and size. Software then performs the identification and sends a command to destroy it. rocket.

Tom Kirkland, head of the guidance systems division at L3Harris:

Continuing demonstrations like this one in Poland allows our customers to gain insight into the range of solutions we can offer to meet evolving defense needs. Our VAMPIRE system provides customers with a powerful and reliable solution that can be easily deployed on a variety of platforms.

The system can be mounted on a truck or integrated with an armored vehicle. It can also be mounted on a ship or boat. The Vampire's design is modular.

Interestingly, this system also uses artificial intelligence with machine learning for target identification and fire control. Thus, the integration of AI into weaponry in the modern world is becoming increasingly active.

Comments

[Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov]

❝ It is not at all excluded that it will be sent to Poland’s eastern neighbor for further, fully “natural” tests ❞ —

- Most likely it will be like this – highly likely ...

[don_Reba]

Quote: Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov

Most likely it will

Since July 2023, 4 units have been delivered
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vampire-rocket-system-ukraine-weapons-b2404400.html
In December 2023, another 10 pieces
https://seapowermagazine.org/navy-to-complete-rapid-delivery-of-new-counter-uas-system-to-ukraine/
Most are on the M1152 Humvee chassis.

And in January 2025, a Vampire mounted on a floating trough shot down an X-59 over the World Cup.

[Shurik70]

A missile with good guidance will, of course, shoot down a drone 100%.
Guidance will, of course, improve year by year (more likely month by month)
It's a question of cost. Drones are being churned out by the thousands these days.
When NATO gets involved in another skirmish and loses completely to drones, they will start churning out millions (in about ten years, I suppose).
Expensive missiles that are effective against single drones are useless against a swarm.
A completely different strategy is needed against a swarm.
Either another swarm or area-of-effect weapons.

[Boa kaa]

Quote: Shurik70

A completely different strategy is needed against a swarm.
Either another swarm or area-of-effect weapons.

The swarm thing is all clear. The problem is how to rip out this VAMPIRE's fangs so it doesn't bite. The SAMs are laser-guided, semi-active... And they'll clearly not be used against the "little ones," but against Geraniums and other large UAVs. That's what our Kulibins at GALA and other think tanks should be thinking about now.
AHA.

[Shurik70]

Quote: Boa constrictor KAA

How do I pull out this VAMPIRE's fangs?

What is there to think?
If there's no time for that, there are two waves of drones. The first, cheaper one, forces him to discharge his missiles. If there are more drones than missiles, only part of the first wave is lost. The launch site is simultaneously detected. The second wave proceeds without losses.
And then, specifically for him, a third wave, at the identified launch site. The carrier of the small drones drops them beyond the launcher's range, but as close to the target as possible. They fly at extremely low altitude on an optical cable. Half a kilo of explosives is enough.
If the installation is mobile and attempts to change location after launch, the small drone carriers are included in the second wave. These can be deployed without fiber optics; an electronic warfare station on a moving installation is unlikely to have an effective range of more than 10 meters. Our specialists have already learned to defeat them by directing an uncontrolled quadcopter at a target.

[rocket757]

And yet, various anti-drone systems are being created, with different performance characteristics...
The need for such systems on the battlefield or away from the front lines depends on the parameters/capabilities of anti-aircraft systems, and the general impression is that not just a lot of such systems are needed, but A LOT OF them, and, again, a lot of ammunition for them...
However, there are quite a few nuances, and those systems that don't cover most of them REALLY are just a waste of money and a lot of it...

[don_Reba]

Strange.
On the Grayling website:
https://www.l3harris.com/all-capabilities/vampire

Debut 2022
First order January 2023

Debut2022
First Order January 2023

(And takes part in military operations)
And they are “testing” it in Poland in 2026 (according to the article)
Good idea: APKWS costs $22,000, cheap.

[cat Crush]

It can be assumed that users read the instructions during this time.

[Rafaello]

This situation once again proves that Poland and the United States are more than just "allies on paper." This is a deep bilateral partnership that, in fact, goes beyond the formal obligations under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.
Judge for yourself: the US Congress's approval of the IBCS air defense/missile defense control system for Poland (with Poland becoming the first foreign operator of this system in the world), the purchase of nearly a thousand JASSM-ER precision cruise missiles, and access to other critical technologies—all of this clearly demonstrates that Polish-American relations have a real, solid foundation, not just a declarative shell.

[Boa kaa]

Quote: Rafaello

Polish-American relations have real, “reinforced concrete” content, and not just a declarative shell.

Poland is paying! That's why it gets what it paid for, even though it relies (was!) on EU subsidies.

[Ball]

Quote: Rafaello

This situation once again proves that Poland and the United States are not just “allies on paper.”

History develops in a spiral:
At the beginning of the 20th century, the US and England began cultivating a "torpedo" against the USSR. But the project failed, so they turned their attention to Germany, creating Adik Aloizovich, and feeding him the "hyena of Europe." At the beginning of the 21st century, the same Brits and Americans were cultivating a Ukrainian Reich, seemingly successfully, but Russia gave the entire European NATO a run for its money, the "Ukrainian torpedo" fizzled out, and they're starting to prepare a replacement in the form of the Poles. They just didn't take one thing into account: Ukraine is Russian territory, we don't want to pollute it with radiation; we still have to live there. As for Poland and other gay Europes, we're not interested. Even Russian troops won't go there; the Strategic Missile Forces will deal with them at the first sign of trouble.

[Rafaello]

As far as I know, the "cultural revolution" hasn't reached Poland, but American and Korean weapons are arriving en masse. And that's precisely what's posing the biggest problem...