High-Energy Lithium-Ion Battery Technology to Extend Mission Duration of USAF Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS)

The Air Force (AF) needs innovative energy storage solutions to provide meaningful improvements in small unmanned aerial system (SUAS) performance; this includes an ability to carry different payloads, improved range and endurance, to meet an evolving set of mission scenarios. The Department of Defense (DoD) SUAS market would benefit from domestically-produced and affordable energy storage solutions. ADA Technologies, Inc. (ADA) is working to establish an agile battery manufacturing platform that provides custom battery chemistries and shapes, and an ability to switch between different production efforts without expensive setup/tooling costs and/or long product development timelines. This capability will provide access to enabling energy storage solutions at volumes consistent with end-user needs and meet production growth needs. This program will further develop ADA agile manufacturing capabilities providing the following benefits to original equipment manufacturing (OEM) customers: enhanced capability, custom-shaped energy storage solutions and supply chain agility. It will also complete the technology maturation for a high performance SUAS lithium ion battery, and improve manufacturing maturity to a low rate initial production capability. This will support the delivery of battery product to relevant OEM customers and establish ADA as a niche DoD, domestic, energy storage provider.