Space Age Power for British Armed Forces

A lightweight battery technology will power Britain’s BOWMAN battlefield communications system.

The rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, supplied by AEA Battery Systems of the U.K., are currently powering the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter in its ongoing mission to look for evidence of life on Mars. AEA’s batteries provide power to Mars Express when it is hidden from the sun and supports peak power demands.

AEA’s lithium-ion batteries can operate effectively in temperatures ranging from -40oC to +70oC. Other rechargeables, such as nickel cadmium, do not operate effectively below 0oC. Li-ions are just one-third the size and weight of other rechargeable batteries, can be recharged over 1000 times, and have reliable fuel gauging, optimized charge and discharge regimes, and history monitoring to help maximize battery life.