German defense technology firm Helsing will invest $50 million to open a manufacturing facility for its HX-2 strike drone in West Virginia as it expands beyond European operations.
The new operation in Martinsburg, Berkeley County, will create at least 60 full-time jobs with an average annual salary of $125,000, according to the state government.
Helsing’s initial manufacturing work will focus on the HX-2, an AI-enabled strike drone the company developed for large-scale battlefield deployment.
Helsing US General Manager Jennifer McArdle said that West Virginia offered the workforce, infrastructure, and manufacturing capacity needed to support the company’s expansion into the US defense industrial base.
“A strong defense industrial base depends on trusted partnerships and the ability to scale advanced manufacturing where it matters most,” she said.
Foreign Defense Firms Expand US Production
Helsing joins other foreign defense companies that have moved to expand manufacturing capacity in the US as demand grows for weapons and other military equipment.
In June, Sweden’s Saab opened a new office in Auburn Hills, Michigan, which will serve as an engineering and program management hub for its munitions facility scheduled to open in Grayling later in 2026.
Earlier, in January, Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace broke ground on its first US missile production facility in Virginia.
The moves follow Rheinmetall’s August 2025 expansion in Fairfax County, Virginia, where the German defense giant leased a new hub for American Rheinmetall Defense and American Rheinmetall Munitions.
