A leading defense contractor developing an advanced counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft system) drone program required a reliable, lightweight, and high-performance battery pack. The battery system needed to maximize flight time while minimizing weight and withstanding the stresses of repeated launch, flight, and landing cycles. All components required procurement from trusted U.S. suppliers to align with national security priorities and ensure long-term supply chain reliability. The project timeline demanded delivery of validated prototypes within six months to meet mission-critical program deadlines.
The Details
Industry
Aerospace & Defense and Electrification
CAPABILITIES APPLIED
The project presented interconnected technical, sourcing, and timeline challenges requiring coordinated engineering expertise and accelerated development cycles:
Competing Performance Requirements: The battery pack needed to balance energy density for extended flight duration with minimal weight to preserve drone maneuverability and payload capacity, while maintaining structural integrity through high-stress operational cycles including launch forces, flight vibrations, and landing impacts.
Domestic Sourcing Mandates: All battery components required procurement from qualified U.S. suppliers meeting defense-grade standards, limiting the available supplier base and requiring rigorous vetting of component sources to ensure compliance with national security requirements and long-term supply chain resilience.
Compressed Development Timeline: Moving from initial concept through system architecture, detailed design, prototype fabrication, and validation testing within six months required parallel engineering workflows, rapid decision-making, and efficient coordination across mechanical, electrical, and thermal engineering disciplines.
High-Demand Operating Environment: The counter-UAS application subjected battery packs to demanding conditions including rapid power cycling, thermal stress from variable flight profiles, mechanical shock from launch systems, and vibration throughout flight operations, all while maintaining consistent power delivery and safety margins.
Re:Build delivered validated battery pack prototypes within the six-month timeline, achieving all performance specifications for energy density, weight, and operational durability. Close collaboration with the client’s engineering team enabled rapid communication, fast design iterations, and minimized risk throughout the accelerated development cycle.
System architecture development established pack configuration balancing weight constraints, thermal management requirements, and integration compatibility with the drone platform. Advanced mechanical and electrical engineering delivered structural durability and reliable power delivery under high-demand operating conditions.
Quick-turn prototyping processes created functional units on an accelerated schedule, enabling iterative refinement based on test results. Rigorous performance validation under simulated flight conditions confirmed the design met energy density targets, weight specifications, and durability requirements against shock and vibration.
Strategic alignment with qualified U.S. suppliers secured components meeting defense-grade sourcing requirements while establishing a reliable domestic supply chain for future production scaling. The mission-ready battery solution supported the client’s program objectives while reinforcing U.S. manufacturing capabilities aligned with national security priorities.
