Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas and Nathan Diller, President of U.S. defence technology company Mach Industries, signed a joint declaration aimed at strengthening strategic Lithuanian-U.S. cooperation in the defence industry and creating new opportunities to support Ukraine.
“Mach Industries develops drone and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. We will seek to establish the production of drone systems in Lithuania, including systems that have already been tested in Ukraine under real combat conditions. Lithuania’s geographic location, proximity to Ukraine, and membership in NATO and the European Union create favourable conditions for bringing the production of advanced U.S. defence technologies closer to Ukraine and strengthening defence industrial capacity across the region,” Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas said following the signing.
The cooperation aims to establish a Mach Industries presence in Lithuania and develop production capacity for advanced defence systems in the country. This would create opportunities for Lithuania to become an important part of the U.S. defence technology manufacturing and supply chain in Europe.
“This declaration is an opportunity to deepen cooperation while expanding the industrial capacity needed to develop advanced defence technologies. Lithuania understands that credible deterrence requires both advanced technology and the capacity to produce it at scale. This declaration provides a foundation for exploring how we can build these capabilities together and strengthen the defence industrial base across NATO,” said Ethan Thornton, founder and CEO of Mach Industries.
The initiative brings together three strategic objectives: strengthening Lithuania’s defence industry, deepening the transatlantic partnership with the United States, and providing long-term support to Ukraine.
In the future, subject to Ukraine’s requirements and the necessary conditions being met, defence systems produced in Lithuania could be used to strengthen Ukraine’s defence.
The joint declaration marks another step towards establishing Lithuania as a regional hub for advanced defence technology production, contributing to the security of NATO’s eastern flank and to Ukraine’s defence.
During his visit to the United States, Minister Kaunas also met with representatives of Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Palantir and Epirus Inc. The Minister invited Epirus to present its microwave-based counter-drone solutions in Lithuania as early as next year.
During the meetings, the Minister highlighted the growing momentum in U.S.-Lithuanian defence industrial cooperation. Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are establishing ties with Lithuanian companies, and, according to the Minister, the objective is to turn these relationships into long-term industrial integration.
Over the past three years, Lithuania has procured approximately EUR 2 billion worth of weapons and military equipment from the United States, making it the largest purchaser of U.S. defence equipment among the Baltic States. Lithuania is acquiring U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems, JLTV armoured vehicles, Black Hawk helicopters, HIMARS rocket artillery systems, AMRAAM missiles for NASAMS medium-range air defence systems, and other equipment.
