L3Harris Vampire – Hydra 70 Rocket-Based Anti Drone Weapon

L3Harris Vampire – Hydra 70 Rocket-Based Anti Drone Weapon


There is something interesting on Earth in Ukraine, because there are two names of "Vampires" who have been involved in the armed conflict that has been going on for more than six months. 

The first is the Vampire in the form of a Self Propelled MLRS (Multi Launch Rocket System) RM70 122 mm caliber, made in the Czech Republic. While the other Vampire is the Vampire Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems, made in the United States.


For the RM70 Vampire in Ukraine you have discussed in the previous article, apart from that, the RM70 Vampire is widely known as the mainstay field artillery weapon of the Indonesian Navy Marine Corps. However, it is different with the Vampire Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems. His name sounded new, and seemed to suddenly appear in the middle of a proxy war between Washington and Moscow.

Long story short, Vampire Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems are part of a long-term US$2.98 billion aid package launched by the US to assist the Ukrainian military. Vampire (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) is an anti-drone device made by L3Harris. 

The Vampire form is a portable kit that can be mounted on most vehicles with cargo to launch advanced precision kill weapons system (APKWS) or other laser-guided ammunition.

Basically, Vampire is a kinetic system that uses small missiles to shoot drones in the sky. The L3Harris suitcase-type APKWS launcher and designator kit provides a quick solution for arming non-tactical vehicles (civil vehicles).

The missile used is the AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), which is a conversion of a Hydra 70 unguided rocket with a laser-guided kit to convert it into precision-guided munitions. APKWS is claimed to be only one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current laser-guided weapon inventory having a lower yield, better suited for avoiding additional damage and requiring a quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload.

APKWS uses Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) technology. This technology allows the laser finder to be placed on the leading edge of each of the advanced control canards, working in unison as if they were a single seeker.

L3Harris Vampire
L3Harris Vampire

The APKWS configuration allows the existing warhead of the Hydra 70 rocket to be deployed without the need for a laser seeker in the missile's nose. APKWS-equipped rockets are equipped with a proximity fuze and can destroy Class 2 drones. 

The proximity of the fuze allows it to intercept the drone at a lower cost than other methods, and because the rocket's laser guidance is active at launch, there is no need to lock onto the target before launch.

With a Hydra 70 rocket base, the Vampire's effective range is 8,000 meters and the maximum range is 10,500 meters. Hydra 70's speed is 739 meters per second.


The Vampire is designed to complement civilian 4×4 vehicles at a low cost and fit in a pickup or any vehicle with less cargo space. The Vampire installation can be completed in about two hours by two people using common tools. The power supply eliminates the need for a 24 volt alternator on the vehicle.


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