Battlefield power can come with an unwanted cost: the noise and heat that reveal where troops are operating. New Use Energy Solutions (NUE) is developing portable energy nodes aimed at reducing that risk.
According to the company, the nodes will feature soldier-friendly form factors, allowing troops to carry them into austere locations, deploy them quickly, and relocate them as missions evolve.
Unlike conventional generators, the nodes will incorporate thermal-management technology developed in Ukraine to reduce signatures that could expose troops’ positions.
Technical details remain undisclosed, including their power output, dimensions, weight, capacity, endurance, and overall performance.
“As command, control, communications, computing, cyber, drones… expand across the tactical edge, dependable power is no longer supporting infrastructure. It is mission infrastructure,” the company stated.
“We’re proud to help shape that conversation — and build what comes next. Tools, not toys.”
Building Power at Home
The project is being pursued under an agreement between NUE and the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
Because tactical power equipment can be lost or destroyed in the field, the program is focused on affordable systems that can be produced at scale and treated as attritable assets.
It also aims to expand US production of energy components in a market that has largely shifted overseas.
“This program could create real jobs over time and support American component manufacturers in areas where we’ve ceded almost the entire market,” said Paul Shmotolokha, chief executive officer of NUE.
“DIU has been a genuinely forward-thinking partner. They listen to small companies that understand the battlefield, and they understand that attritable products can’t cost top dollar.”
