It’s never been used in combat before—and could potentially change the tide of the war.
either: the system fires a missile that’s been produced for a decade and its guidance is traditional. Its advantage, however, is in its modest size and price tag.
Where the VAMPIRE might change the game for the Ukrainians, and for the future of drone warfare, is the low cost. For traditional air defense, which was designed to take down airplanes and helicopters, small drones can present a. Depending on the system, the missile that shoots down the drone could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, much more than the drone itself. Advanced drones also cost millions, but smaller ones can cost a few hundred dollars.
The VAMPIRE’s munitions cost about $27,000 each—cheap for a guided missile—and the launcher and targeting system can be attached to the back of most pickup trucks. Twenty-seven thousand dollars per round is expensive, but when compared to the U.K.’s $1.5 million Light-Multirole Missile, whichand has a similar range against drones, the financial benefits are immediately apparent.
The VAMPIRE by itself, however, is not a miracle solution for Russian drones in the short term. It will not be ready until May of next year and its short range and four-barrel limit mean that it might not be able to stop a concentration of drones without additional assistance. The range has been the subject of somebecause the missile has more often been fired from aircraft, but it is likely limited to about 2 miles.
Will the VAMPIRE perform as well as advertised? We will see when they start arriving next year. Until then, American willingness to help Ukraine shoot down drones points to the future of conflict, where stopping the enemy’s drones is just as vital as stopping their tanks and ships.
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