Ukraine-Proven Helsing HX-2 Drone Gets US Army Trial Run in Lithuania, “Hitting Target After Target”

German defense company Helsing’s Ukraine-proven HX-2 drone was tested by US soldiers during drills in Lithuania and performed successfully, with a company representative confirming to UNITED24 Media information, shared by Axios on June 9.

According to Axios, Helsing supplied HX-2 drones for Project Flytrap, a US Army counter-drone exercise at the Pabradė Training Area in Lithuania. The systems were used to detect, track, and strike targets, with Helsing’s 17 drones reportedly recording 15 successful engagements and two near-misses.

A Helsing representative confirmed the successful trial in a comment to UNITED24 Media.

“US Army trialed Ukraine-proven HX-2 drones in Lithuania—and it struck target after target,” the representative said.

According to Axios, at least one HX-2 launch was visible in US Army footage from Project Flytrap, a counter-drone exercise held at the Pabradė Training Area in Lithuania.

“Helsing was at Flytrap in force with their hardware and software engineers, as were many other companies,” Alex Miller, the US Army’s chief technology officer, told Axios.

“The HX-2 was originally used as a one-way attack and counter-drone system,” he said.

“But users that I spoke with informed me they were using it as a recon platform and a loitering munition, because it was able to find and track targets with onboard computer vision and fly even under jamming,” Miller added.

According to Axios, Helsing’s 17 drones recorded 15 successful target engagements and two near-misses during the exercise.

Project Flytrap included around 200 drone flights in total. The exercise began as a way for the US Army to examine counter-drone capabilities for maneuver units, but the use of HX-2 shows how quickly strike drones, reconnaissance platforms, loitering munitions, and counter-drone systems are merging into one battlefield category.

Inside the HX-2: speed, range, and AI targeting

The HX-2 was first unveiled in late 2024 as a lightweight precision-strike drone designed to hit armored vehicles, artillery systems, and fortified positions. The system has an X-shaped wing layout and rear-mounted stabilizers.

According to Helsing, the HX-2 weighs around 12 kilograms and is powered by four electric motors mounted in the rear section.

The drone reportedly has a range of up to 100 kilometers and a speed of around 220 km/h, although some Ukrainian reports have placed its maximum speed closer to 250 km/h and range at up to 120 kilometers.

The system is equipped with autonomous targeting and visual navigation features designed to keep it effective in electronic warfare environments. Helsing says the drone can independently recognize and track targets, while multiple HX-2 systems can operate together in coordinated swarm formations.

The HX-2 is already being used by Ukrainian forces on several front-line sectors. In 2025, Helsing announced plans to manufacture 6,000 HX-2 strike drones for Ukraine.

The Lithuania drill highlights why systems like HX-2 are attracting attention: modern drones now need to find targets, survive jamming, support reconnaissance, and strike in the same mission cycle. For Helsing, the exercise offered a rare chance to put a European-built AI-enabled drone directly into US Army hands near NATO’s eastern flank.

Earlier, Germany’s Helsing successfully tested the launch of its HX-2 strike drone from a fast coastal assault boat, marking a new step toward integrating the AI-enabled system into maritime operations used by Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

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