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The Department of Defense (DOD) plans to send counter-drone systems to Ukraine within the next year as Russia continues to target Ukraine's energy systems with Iranian-made weapons.
Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary, told reporters on Tuesday that the department is anticipating to send Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment, or VAMPIRE, to Ukraine by mid-2023. Ryder added that a contract for the VAMPIRE systems is expected to be finalized in the next few months.
"Air defense continues to be a priority," Ryder said during the briefing.
The DOD first promised to provide the Ukrainian military with VAMPIRE systems on August 24 as part of a $3 billion package announced on Ukraine's Independence Day. As of October 28, the U.S. had sent approximately $17.9 million in security assistance since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, reported the DOD.
The VAMPIRE system is able to target drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles as well as non-tactical vehicles, such as pickup trucks, according to the L3Harris website. The system is also designed to be "low-cost" and can fit into any pickup truck or vehicle's cargo bed.
The U.S. has already sent approximately 1,400 Stinger short-range air defense weapons to Ukraine, reported the DOD, and plans on sending two of the eight promised National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, in the coming weeks.
A senior defense official with the DOD said in a Monday press release that Russia is "continuing its campaign of terror attacks on Ukraine as it targets civilian infrastructure" and repeated that providing air defense to Ukraine remains a priority.
"Damage to the electric grid and water supply are serious concerns directly harming the civilian population," the official added.
Russia has turned to one of its few allies, Iran, to provide drones and other equipment in the furthering of its attack on Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed last week that Russian troops had received Iranian-made bulletproof vests and helmets after Russia reported it had been struggling to produce equipment for soldiers.
The U.K.'s Defense Ministry has acknowledged Ukraine's success in striking down Iranian drones thus far. However, as a new delivery of Russian-made Killjoy missiles are believed to have been spotted in Belarus on Tuesday, Ukraine's air defense system is still in need of an upgrade to protect from Russian attacks.
In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday thanked allies in their efforts to provide an "air shield for Ukraine."
"I am sure that when we together provide Ukraine with reliable protection against this partnership—the Russian and Iranian regimes—it will be one of the strongest pages of our state history," Zelensky said.
Newsweek reached out to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for comment on the VAMPIRE systems.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more