NEO Battery Materials (NBM.V) launched its "high-power and energy" battery products specifically engineered for First-Person View (FPV) strike drones or loitering munitions (LMs), demonstrating a 82% increase in energy density and doubling in flight range compared to Chinese incumbents, said the company on Thursday.
It is "one of first non-Chinese pouch battery alternatives" for FPV strike drones with U.S. NDAA compliance for procurement eligibility into DoW and allied military entities, stated the company.
Both 6.5 and 11.5 Ah products are precision-engineered to deliver "improved stability and flight time under the high-intensity discharge conditions" required for one-way strike drones, said the company.
"At identical size and dimensions, NEO's 6.5 Ah packs delivered an 82% increase in energy density compared to a commercial Chinese pack, enhancing from 129 to 235 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) or raising capacity from 3.3 to 6.5 Ah," said the company. "In a simulated 250 km/h strike mission, the optimization translated into a 102.9% increase in flight range from 24.4 km to 49.5 km, given the same amperage (current delivery)."
The higher-capacity 11.5 Ah variant demonstrated a "stronger power profile and lower temperature rise" compared to a "leading silicon battery product", the company stated. Based on a 10C or 6-minute discharge test, NEO's cell retained 78.8% of capacity compared to 48% for its benchmark, it added.
The company is in discussions across Ukraine, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan regarding the integration of these cells into active defense systems, said the company and added that serving a dual-use purpose, the FPV strike drone battery portfolio will be further distributed to drones for precision agriculture, security/inspection, and industrial logistics.
The company's shares were last seen down $0.01 at $0.38 on the TSX Venture Exchange.
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