Ultralife Wins DoD Awards

Advanced Battery Technology, Mar 2005

Ultralife Batteries, Inc. of Newark, New York, and its subsidiary in Abingdon, U.K., have been awarded the 60% and 40% shares, respectively, of the Next Gen II, Phase IV five-year battery production contracts by the U.S. Defense Department. These contracts, which could reach a maximum value of $286 million, are for the production of five types of primary lithium-manganese dioxide batteries for the U.S. military.

NextGen II is the military's five-year battery procurement strategy. The Phase IV production contracts were awarded to Ultralife's U.S. and U.K. operations to provide five types of primary lithium-manganese dioxide batteries: the BA-5390/U, BA-5312/U, BA-5398/U, BA-5388/U and B A-5357/U . These five comprise the Rectangular Lithium Manganese Dioxide Battery Group. A major objective of the five-year strategy is to establish and maintain a production base of a sufficient capacity to timely meet peacetime demands and have the ability to surge quickly to meet deployment demands.

The BA-5390/U, most widely used of the five battery types, is a 15 or 30V battery used to power the PRC-119 SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System). The BA-5312/U is a 12V battery used in the PRC-112 survival radio. The BA-5398/U is a 15V battery used in the PRC-77 radio and other applications. The BA-5388 is a 15V battery used in the PRC-126 and other handheld radios, and the BA-5357 is a 15 or 30V battery used in the PSG-2A message device and other applications.