L3Harris Installs VAMPIRE Anti-Drone System on GM Defense ISV Platform

L3Harris Technologies has integrated its proprietary VAMPIRE counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) on GM Defense’s Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), giving users a mobile and cost-effective way to defend against small drones.

The VAMPIRE, short for Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) Rocket Equipment, is a self-contained defense system that can detect and shoot down autonomous aircraft.

Its plug-and-play design allows troops to mount it on several vehicle or vessel types within minutes, giving units more flexibility in fast-changing battlefield conditions.

L3Harris said the system has been in active use since 2023 and has reportedly taken down hundreds of enemy UAS in European combat operations.

“Deploying VAMPIRE on GM Defense’s ISV is a great example of how quickly and seamlessly this system can be used … to defeat the rapidly growing threat of small, hostile drones,” said Tom Kirkland, vice president and general manager of Targeting and Sensor Systems at L3Harris.

The Infantry Squad Vehicle

GM Defense’s ISV is modeled after the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 pickup truck and designed for rapid deployment in rough terrain.

The lightweight, off-road vehicle runs on a 275-horsepower Duramax turbo-diesel engine with a six-speed automatic transmission.

It can carry up to 3,200 pounds (1,451 kilograms) of gear and transport nine soldiers. The ISV can be lifted by UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and CH-53 Stallion helicopters or airdropped from large transport aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules.

“The versatility of the ISV is one of its core strengths,” GM Defense Government Solutions and Strategy VP John Johnson commented on the milestone.

“This successful integration highlights how the ISV’s modular design and commercial-based architecture can quickly incorporate next-generation technologies to deliver immediate value and enhanced protection to our warfighters.”