The US Defense Department promised the delivery of Vampire counterdrone systems to Ukraine in August, but only approved a $40 million contract for the weapon last month, press said in a report, citing Western officials and analysts.
The United States will not deliver the first four Vampire systems until mid-2023, with ten more units expected to arrive by year’s end, the Monday report said.
Ukraine needs hundreds of counterdrone systems around large cities, military facilities and infrastructure to meet the threat, Sam Bendett, a drone expert with the federally-funded Center for Naval Analyses said.
Vampire systems, short for Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment, tracks targets and intercepts them with laser-guided munitions. The counterdrone system is intended to fit in the back of a standard pickup truck, the report added.
The systems are meant to address the reported widespread use of drones by Russian forces. Washington and Kiev accuse Moscow of utilizing Iranian Shahed-136 drones in Ukraine. Moscow and Tehran have denied the accusations.
US Reportedly Considering Sending Stryker Armored Combat Vehicles
Newly surfaced reports also revealed on Monday that the Biden White House is presently considering dispatching Stryker armored combat vehicles to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.
Citing individuals familiar with the development, another report said that the announcement may be made official as early as next week in parallel with the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Germany.
Last week, the Biden administration announced its largest to-date package of military assistance to Ukraine worth $3.75 billion which includes $225 million for Ukrainian military modernization and $682 million for US allies and partners on NATO’s eastern flank in Europe.
The new funding will buy Ukraine a long list of military equipment and ammunition, including 50 Bradley fighting vehicles with 500 TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition.