The latest
The U.S. Army’s test of Helsing drones in Lithuania says more than one thing about a single military exercise.
Europe is rearming. Defense-tech startups are no longer sitting on the edge of the sector. They are moving into NATO training grounds and, increasingly, into the calculations of the U.S. military itself.
Details
• A smart attack drone:
Alex Miller, the U.S. Army’s chief technology officer, said the HX-2 was originally used as a one-way attack system and as a counter-drone platform.
• Built to operate under jamming:
The key feature is that the drone can find and track targets using onboard computer vision, while continuing to fly even in an electronic jamming environment.
• Strong results:
Helsing brought 17 drones to the exercise. They recorded 15 kills and two near-misses.
• A U.S. test on European ground:
Project Flytrap included around 200 drone flights. The exercise began as a way to test how maneuver units can deal with the growing drone threat.
• Helsing eyes the U.S. market:
The German company, founded in 2021, is nearing a $1.2 billion funding round that could value it at $18 billion. A strong showing with U.S. troops could give it a larger path into a market long dominated by traditional American defense contractors.
• Europe is rearming:
European governments no longer assume Russia will stop at Ukraine. They also no longer assume the U.S. will always remain NATO’s main supplier and security guarantor.
What to watch
The key question is whether the HX-2 test in Lithuania remains a limited exercise or becomes the start of a broader Helsing presence inside the U.S. military system.
Contracts will be the real signal. If Helsing sells its systems to the U.S. Army or NATO partners, it would show that European defense is no longer only a buyer of weapons. It is starting to produce technology that Washington itself is willing to test.
