L3Harris Applied sciences introduced at this time receiving a $40 million Division of Protection contract to ship 14 Automobile Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Gear or VAMPIRE multi-purpose weapons system – to strengthen Ukrainian safety protection efforts. The VAMPIRE prototype, submitted to U.S. Division of Protection (DoD) in April, was chosen in August as a part of the DoD’s $3 billion safety help package deal below the Ukraine Safety Help Initiative. The corporate started subject testing in 2021 and continued vary and sturdiness checks in summer season 2022. The transportable VAMPIRE equipment will enable Ukraine floor forces to focus on and shoot down enemy drones and defend in opposition to adversary floor threats.
Beneath the DoD contract, L3Harris will set up VAMPIRE kits on U.S. government-provided automobiles for agile fight help to the Ukrainian battlefield. The contract requires L3Harris to ship 14 VAMPIRE methods to DoD, with 4 delivered by mid-2023 and ten extra delivered by the top of 2023. The VAMPIRE’s mission administration system integrates a complicated WESCAM MX-10 RSTA focusing on sensor with its weapons station, permitting an operator to shortly and precisely have interaction targets. VAMPIRE is designed to enhance the low-cost, low-signature, and availability of widespread NTVs and slot in any pickup or car with a cargo mattress. Set up may be accomplished in roughly two hours by two folks utilizing widespread instruments. The AGR-20 Superior Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) , chosen particularly to be used in Ukraine, gives elevated lethality for participating small or comfortable targets when mixed with L3Harris’ proximity fuze.
Commercial
“We’ve invested in procurement, testing and certification since August so VAMPIRE manufacturing can start directly. We’re dedicated to supporting a U.S. strategic companion with a strong functionality, because the folks of Ukraine proceed to defend their nation and shield their independence,” mentioned Luke Savoie, President, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, L3Harris.
The AGR-20 Superior Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a design conversion of Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a laser steerage equipment to show them into precision-guided munitions (PGMs). APKWS is roughly one-third the price and one-third the burden of the present stock of laser-guided weapons have a decrease yield extra appropriate for avoiding collateral harm and takes one-quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload. The APKWS II makes use of the Distributed Aperture Semi-Lively Laser Seeker (DASALS) expertise. This method permits a laser seeker to be situated on the forefront of every of the ahead management canards, working in unison as in the event that they had been a single seeker. This configuration permits present warheads from the Hydra 70 system for use with out the necessity for a laser seeker within the missile nostril. An APKWS-equipped rocket was fitted with a proximity fuze and destroyed a Class 2 UAS.
