SPECIAL REPORT: MILITARY BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
Foreword
P
RIMARY AND re-chargeable batteries are the hidden power behind the digital battlefield. And it is not just C4I equipment: ammunition,
submarines, helicopters, and vehicles are all battery dependent. This issue contains four insightful assessments of where we are today. When selecting a battery for a particular application, design engineers need to consider a number of factors including the use to which the battery is to be put; whether the battery is to be used immediately or stored for use in the future; and cost. The Report opens by examining the different systems that are available and goes on to look at the importance that batteries play in the field of defence and, in particular, in relation to munitions and satellite applications. The first section ends with descriptions of various types of batteries giving details of specifications and comparative advantages. The next piece focuses on the diversity of applications for batteries and the extent to which they have to be customized by the manufacturing industry. It discusses the specifications for ruggedness and robustness that the military require to perform in extreme environments in modern warfare. The third section looks at the progress being made through Europe to address the issue of soldier modernization, while taking on board the latest research on the importance of not over burdening the dismounted soldier. Today’s soldier carries a third of his body weight in weaponry, protective clothing and communications equipment. He is so laden that in some cases he is being prevented from fighting with agility and flexibility, which is vital in a desert environment in counter- insurgency warfare. Research programmes, in association with universities and industry, are working on new products based on new technologies to reduce the weight and volume of primary batteries. Much of the work is beginning to produce results of interest to the battery manufacturers. Some of the latest ideas coming over the horizon on new ways of generating sustainable energy for military applications are the subject of the final review in this Report.
Mary Dub Editor
Mary Dub has covered the defence field in the United States and the UK as a television broadcaster, journalist and conference manager. Focused by a Masters in War Studies from King’s College, London, she annotates and highlights the interplay of armies, governments and industry.
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