US sending Vampires to Ukraine to counter Russia’s drones

Jan 12, 2023

Ryan Robertson Anchor, Investigative Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Investigative Reporter)

The United States is sending Vampires to Ukraine. No, these aren’t the sparkly kind from some teenage literary saga. These Vampires are straight up killers.

The Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment system is a portable weapons kit. It can be installed on most any vehicle with a cargo bed or a flat surface. The fangs on this Vampire are four laser-guided rockets that can take a bite out of targets on the ground or in the air.

Russia’s use of Iranian-made drones has wreaked havoc on Ukrainian infrastructure, which is why the Vampire was selected in August as part of the Pentagon’s $3 billion security assistance package.

The Vampire system uses a WESCAM MX-10 RSTA targeting sensor to find its targets. Two people working together can install the Vampire and have it operational in a few hours.

The Vampire is made by L3Harris Technologies and was part of a Navy prototype contract which pre-dates the Ukraine war. This week, the Pentagon awarded a $40 million contract to L3Harris to put 14 Vampires in service in Ukraine. The first four should be in theatre by mid-2023, and the remaining 10 by year’s end.

The Vampire weapons system is part of a wave of new armaments headed for Ukraine. The White House announced last week it would send dozens of Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine. Germany is sending Marder IFVs. Poland and Finland may send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but would need Germany’s approval first.

The added weaponry is sorely needed. The momentum Ukraine had from its counter offensives in the fall is largely subsided and the fighting is slowing to a grind.

The Russian private military company, Wagner Group, said this week it captured the city of Soledar in eastern Ukraine. If true, it would be the most significant gain for Russia in months.

Tags: Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Finland, Germany, Leopard 2, Poland, Russia, The Pentagon, Ukraine, Wagner Group

THE UNITED STATES IS SENDING VAMPIRES TO UKRAINE. AND NO, THESE AREN’T THE SPARKLY KIND FROM SOME LAME LITERARY SAGA. THESE VAMPIRES ARE STRAIGHT UP KILLERS.

THE VEHICLE AGNOSTIC MODULAR PALLETIZED ISR ROCKET EQUIPMENT SYSTEM IS A PORTABLE WEAPONS KIT. IT CAN BE INSTALLED ON MOST ANY VEHICLE WITH A CARGO BED OR A FLAT SURFACE.

THE FANGS ON THIS VAMPIRE ARE FOUR LASER-GUIDED ROCKETS THAT CAN TAKE A BITE OUT OF TARGETS ON THE GROUND OR IN THE AIR.

RUSSIA’S USE OF IRANIAN-MADE DRONES HAS WREAKED HAVOC ON UKRAINIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS WHY THE VAMPIRE WAS SELECTED IN AUGUST AS PART OF THE PENTAGON’S $3 BILLION SECURITY ASSISTANCE PACKAGE.

THE VAMPIRE SYSTEM USES A WESCAM TARGETING SENSOR TO FIND ITS TARGETS. TWO PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER CAN INSTALL THE VAMPIRE AND HAVE IT OPERATIONAL IN A FEW HOURS.

THE VAMPIRE IS MADE BY L3 HARRIS AND WAS PART OF A NAVY PROTOTYPE CONTRACT WHICH PRE-DATES THE UKRAINE WAR. THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON AWARDED A $40 MILLION CONTRACT TO L3 HARRIS TO PUT 14 VAMPIRES IN SERVICE IN UKRAINE BY YEAR’S END.

THE VAMPIRE WEAPONS SYSTEM IS PART OF A WAVE OF NEW ARMAMENTS HEADED FOR UKRAINE. THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUCED LAST WEEK IT WOULD SEND DOZENS OF BRADLEY INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLES TO UKRAINE. GERMANY IS SENDING MARDER IFVS. POLAND AND FINLAND MAY BE SENDING LEOPARD 2 TANKS TO UKRAINE, BUT WOULD NEED GERMANY’S APPROVAL FIRST.

THE ADDED WEAPONRY IS SORELY NEEDED. THE MOMENTUM UKRAINE HAD FROM ITS COUNTEROFFENSIVES IN THE FALL IS LARGELY SUBSIDED AND THE FIGHTING IS SLOWING TO A GRIND.

THE RUSSIAN PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANY, WAGNER GROUP, SAID THIS WEEK IT CAPTURED THE CITY OF SOLEDAR IN EASTERN UKRAINE. IF TRUE, IT WOULD BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT GAIN FOR RUSSIA IN MONTHS.

WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE WAR IN UKRAINE FROM THE BEGINNING AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. FOR MORE STORIES ON THIS TOPIC, HEAD OVER TO STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM