General Atomics Battery for New Navy Submersible

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) signed a contract with Lockheed Martin to provide Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant (LiFT) battery systems for use on U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) new Dry Combat Submersible (DCS), a long endurance delivery vehicle capable of transporting divers in a dry environment.  The GA-EMS LiFT battery system will power the DCS propulsion and internal support systems.  

 

“Our unique solution provides the energy needed to safely propel and power the DCS at the distances and depths required to deliver personnel to their mission destination,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.

 

LiFT battery systems are high energy density solutions for both manned and unmanned underwater vehicles.  LiFT’s single cell fault tolerance prevents uncontrolled and catastrophic cascading cell failure. This not only ensures the safety of any on-board personnel, but also ensures systems continue to operate through faults to enable mission completion. In April of this year, the LiFT battery system successfully underwent at-sea on-hull demonstration testing on a USSOCOM undersea vehicle.

 

“This contract award represents a significant milestone in the advancement of our Lithium-ion battery system, having been tested and authorized by USSOCOM and the U.S. Navy for use on USSOCOM manned submersibles,” said Paul Clark, senior manager responsible for the LiFT program at GA-EMS. “We’re now applying this same technology and modular design to create safety certifiable LiFT battery systems for other defense platforms, including ground vehicles and aircraft.”