High Power Cells for Military Applications

Thursday, 11 June 2026

The Power Sources team at QinetiQ works with a wide variety of cell technologies, developing products across different technology readiness levels and verifying performance as an independent third-party test house, while also creating technologies for niche defence applications where high power and safety are critical.

This session covers three key areas: battery testing and development capabilities, real-world defence project examples, and internally developed high-power technologies such as QinetiQ High Power (QHP) cells. QHP cells offer excellent safety characteristics and high power capability, surviving hazardous scenarios—including nail penetration at 100% state of charge—without thermal events, and supporting high-rate charge and discharge.

With battery safety remaining a key concern, particularly for platforms with strict requirements such as naval vessels and fast jets, these developments provide a pathway towards safer lithium-ion adoption in military systems.

Testing and verification capabilities are critical to ensuring battery performance and safety in defence applications.

Real-world defence projects highlight the challenges and solutions in qualifying batteries for extreme environments.

High-power cell technologies such as QHP demonstrate that safety and performance can be achieved simultaneously.

Advanced testing shows cells can withstand severe abuse conditions without thermal events.

Safer lithium-ion technologies can support wider adoption of electrification across military platforms.