Autonomous strike capability showcased to the Lithuanian and Estonian Armed Forces during multinational live demonstration exercise
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mach Industries, a leading defense manufacturer building advanced unmanned systems for modern defense, participated in the Military Live Experimentation Exercise MILEX VANGUARD 2026, hosted by the Lithuanian Armed Forces at the RÅ«dininkai military training area.
During the exercise, Mach Industries conducted a demonstration flight of its Viper platform for representatives of the Lithuanian and Estonian Armed Forces. Viper is an autonomous, vertical-takeoff platform that combines the long-range strike capability of an ATACMS-class system with the precision associated with a Hellfire-class weapon.
Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Robert Kaunas underscored the importance of such demonstrations for assessing advanced systems capable of meeting Lithuania's growing defense requirements. "The Lithuanian Armed Forces need what is modern, efficient, and effective in the real environment. Such technologies, tested under realistic conditions, help us move towards solutions capable of enhancing Lithuania's airspace protection and reinforcing NATO's eastern flank," said Minister Kaunas.
Ethan Thornton, founder and CEO of Mach Industries, said VANGUARD 2026 offered an ideal platform to demonstrate Viper's capabilities. "We develop our systems based on insights gained from Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, with the goal of providing Ukraine, Lithuania, and other partners with efficient and scalable tools to deter and counter aggression," said Thornton.
VANGUARD 2026 brought together military operators, defense planners, procurement authorities, and industry representatives to evaluate emerging technologies under realistic operational conditions. The exercise featured 15 companies from Lithuania, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Poland, and Belgium, and focused on innovative defense solutions designed to strengthen air defense and improve responsiveness to modern security threats.
Initial results from the Viper demonstration were later presented at a networking event hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania. The event was attended by government and defense representatives from Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Japan, Poland, and Israel.
"We are very pleased with the accelerating defense cooperation between our countries and stand ready to help both sides translate these efforts into practical results. The United States is committed to working with Lithuania and allies across the globe to deploy American technology to defend freedom, and to adopt advanced manufacturing and AI-enabled tools to maintain our technological edge. It's an ambitious agenda that is already in action," said Kara C. MacDonald, U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania.
Edvinas Grikšas, Lithuania's Minister of Economy and Innovation, highlighted the broader industrial and innovation impact of the exercise.
"Cutting-edge technologies such as Mach Industries' Viper are important not only for meeting defense needs, but also for opening new opportunities in research and development, as well as manufacturing cooperation between Lithuanian companies and partners from NATO countries," said Minister Grikšas.
About Mach Industries
Mach Industries is a defense manufacturing company headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, that develops advanced unmanned systems and the industrial capacity required to produce them at scale. Through a deeply vertically integrated, hardware-first approach, the company rapidly designs, builds, tests, and fields defense systems while advancing manufacturing, testing, and supply chain capabilities that support both its own programs and the broader defense industrial base. Through Mach Propulsion and Mach Energetics, the company develops and produces jet engines, solid rocket motors and energetic systems, and serves external customers as a component and subsystem provider for booster, sustainer, and unmanned aerial platforms. Mach Industries delivers the speed, adaptability, and resilience needed to preserve the allied edge in an increasingly contested world.
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