L3Harris successfully fires Belgium's FZ275 laser rocket from VAMPIRE counter-drone system in Poland.

On February 12, 2026, L3Harris conducted a live-fire test of its VAMPIRE counter-drone system armed with the Thales Belgium FZ275 70 mm semi-active laser-guided rocket in Poland.

On February 12, 2026, L3Harris conducted a live-fire test of its VAMPIRE counter-drone system in Poland, firing the Thales Belgium FZ275 70 mm semi-active laser-guided rocket. The test marked the first launch of the FZ275 from the FZ605 launcher integrated with VAMPIRE, and was part of an ongoing effort to expand compatible precision munitions for counter-UAS and ground engagements.
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The VAMPIRE is a portable, self-contained intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and precision-strike system designed to counter small unmanned threats and also engage ground targets at ranges up to 7 km with the Belgian FZ275 rocket. (Picture source: L3Harris)

L3Harris announced that its VAMPIRE counter-drone system successfully fired Thales Belgium’s 70 mm FZ275 semi-active laser-guided rocket during a live-fire test at a military base in Poland, marking the first launch of that effector from an FZ605 rocket launcher using VAMPIRE. The firing integrated the Wescam MX-10D electro-optical and infrared stabilized targeting system mounted on a telescopic mast with the Widow mission management system and Thales’ rocket and launcher assembly. Multiple ground targets were engaged and destroyed during the event, which formed part of a broader integration series intended to expand the range of compatible munitions for counter-unmanned and ground engagements. L3Harris linked the demonstration to European operational requirements, including border security tasks and Europe’s Readiness 2030 initiative, and stated that the system can be used aboard a variety of vehicles and vessels through its modular architecture.

The VAMPIRE (for Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) is a self-contained, portable, palletized ISR and precision-strike system developed by L3Harris to counter small unmanned aerial systems and engage ground threats, and it has supported European combat operations since 2023. The VAMPIRE system can be installed on vehicles with a flat cargo surface within approximately two hours using common tools, and it can be operated by a single individual. It incorporates its own power supply and does not require a 24V alternator from the host vehicle, which broadens compatibility across military and civilian platforms. Reload operations can be completed in less than two minutes, and spare 70 mm laser-guided rockets can be stored within the palletized configuration to sustain extended missions. In January 2023, L3Harris received a $40 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to deliver 14 VAMPIRE systems under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, followed by an additional contract in June 2025 for further systems to support European operations.

The Poland firing added the FZ275 LGR to the list of compatible 70 mm precision munitions for VAMPIRE, alongside rockets in the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System family. When paired with L3Harris’ proximity fuze, APKWS-type rockets can engage aerial targets out to approximately 6 kilometers while retaining ground-attack capability. The system architecture allows the onboard laser designator to support its own engagements and to designate targets for other shooters in a distributed configuration. L3Harris states that the February 2026 event demonstrated the speed at which new effectors can be integrated into the VAMPIRE framework to address evolving operational requirements.

The Wescam MX-10D RSTA sensor integrated with VAMPIRE provides high-definition day and thermal imaging, continuous zoom, short-wave infrared capability, including See-Spot functionality, an eye-safe laser rangefinder, optional laser designation, image blending, haze penetration, and inertial measurement unit support for target geolocation. The four-axis stabilized gimbal is mounted on a telescopic mast to allow extended ISR coverage while operators remain under cover. The system is linked to the Widow Mission Management System, which is compliant with Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control standards and supports modular plug-in integration of additional sensors, effectors, navigation tools, radio management, and moving maps. L3Harris reports delivery of more than 8,000 Wescam MX-Series ISR and targeting systems to customers in nearly 90 countries across more than 280 vehicle and vessel types, including VAMPIRE configurations.

The FZ275 LGR is a 70 mm or 2.75 inch semi-active laser-guided rocket developed by Thales Belgium, formerly Forges de Zeebrugge, and produced since 2017. The rocket measures 1.8 meters in length, has a diameter of 70 mm, and weighs 12.7 kilograms, including a 4.1 kilogram high explosive warhead containing approximately 1 kilogram of Composition B, with an impact base fuze and a pre-fragmented shell providing a lethal radius of 9 meters and penetration of 6 mm of ST37-2 steel. Guidance uses a semi-active laser seeker compatible with STANAG 3733 or user-defined codes, and steering is achieved through four folding canards. The operational range extends from 1.5 kilometers up to 7 kilometers, with a circular error probability of less than 1 meter at 6 kilometers, and the rocket can engage stationary and moving targets at speeds of roughly 60 kilometers per hour.

Production figures indicate 700 FZ275 units manufactured in 2024, 3,500 in 2025, and a target of 10,000 in 2026, reflecting increased demand for such guided 70 mm munitions. Integration milestones include January 2022 certification for firing from the Arnold Defense Land-LGR4 Fletcher launcher following testing in Sweden, expanding compatibility with ground-based launchers. In June 2024, Thales signed a memorandum of understanding with WB Electronics and AREX in Poland to integrate the FZ275 on remote weapon systems, and in February 2023, Thales and Bharat Dynamics Limited in India agreed to establish production facilities to support the global supply chain. In November 2024, an agreement was announced to support the joint production of 70 mm rockets in Ukraine, including an FZ123 warhead variant optimized for counter-drone use by dispersing steel balls to increase hit probability against small aerial targets.

In October 2025, L3Harris expanded the VAMPIRE family to include six specialized variants for land, maritime, airborne, containerized, and electronic warfare missions, adding precision weapons, electronic jammers, and non-kinetic effects across domains. The Stalker XR land variant increases the onboard weapons cache and extends munition options, while Black Wake adapts the system for installation on crewed or uncrewed surface vessels such as the 41-foot Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed 13. Dead Wing integrates VAMPIRE elements onto aircraft, CASKET packages the system into a containerized anti-drone module for rapid deployment, BAT configures it for fixed-site defense with automatic weapons and non-kinetic effects, and Killcode employs electronic warfare jammers instead of kinetic munitions. L3Harris states that artificial intelligence and machine learning functions, demonstrated in 2025 with Shield AI, are incorporated to improve detection and engagement of small and partially obscured drones, complementing the sensor and effector expansion demonstrated in Poland in February 2026.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.