Lyten Announces Next-Generation Drone Propulsion Initiative to Support US National Security Needs with American-Made Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
- Lyten launching a drone propulsion unit to scale delivery of ultra-lightweight, U.S. sourced and manufactured lithium-sulfur batteries for drone applications.
- Lyten allocating manufacturing capacity in its California production facilities to meet needs of U.S. defense, UAV, and satellite sectors.
- Lyten now taking orders for its latest lithium-sulfur battery for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lyten, the supermaterial applications company and global leader in lithium-sulfur batteries, today announced a new national security-focused initiative to support the growing demand for high-endurance, wide-operational-radius drones for defense applications. The initiative is built on a next-generation drone energy storage system powered by Lyten’s ultra-lightweight lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Lyten is dedicating production capacity in its California manufacturing facilities to meet the unique needs of the U.S. defense, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and satellite sectors.
Lyten’s U.S.-sourced and manufactured lithium-sulfur batteries are uniquely positioned to help the Department of Defense meet two urgent modernization imperatives:
- Reducing dependence on foreign and adversarial supply chains for critical minerals, components, and batteries, and
- Enabling the deployment of lighter, longer range, and more capable UAV platforms.
Dan Cook, Lyten Co-Founder and CEO, said:
Defense initiatives increasingly rely on unmanned, autonomous systems, yet nearly all these systems are powered by raw materials and batteries sourced from geopolitical rivals,
“We built Lyten’s lithium-sulfur battery platform to solve exactly this problem – to provide lightweight, high performance battery power that is locally sourced and locally manufactured in the United States.”
In a newly released demonstration flight video, Lyten showed its lithium-sulfur battery powering a U.S.-built, 3D-printed UAV. The drone was made by Titan Dynamics, utilizing a battery pack designed by Upgrade Energy, both located in Los Angeles. The successful flight of Titan’s 8.5 foot wingspan drone in Palos Verdes, California demonstrated flight time capability of over 3 hours while executing a wide range of maneuvers, at speeds of up to 86 mph. Lyten’s next upcoming drone battery release is targeting up to 8 hours of flight time on the Titan Dynamics platform.
Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries are free from nickel, manganese, cobalt, and graphite — minerals dominated by Chinese supply chains — enabling a secure, National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA)-compliant energy solution for defense platforms. Lithium-Sulfur batteries, with their higher energy density, are designed to support longer flights, heavier payloads, and extended operational range.
Celina Mikolajczak, Lyten’s Chief Battery Technology Officer, said:
Lightweight propulsion is of critical importance to so many industries,
“Satellites, drones, EVs, and micromobility can all dramatically improve in performance with lighter weight batteries. We have designed the lithium-sulfur battery platform to provide this lightweight performance, while avoiding materials subject to growing geopolitical and supply chain constraints.”
Lyten is currently taking orders for its latest lithium-sulfur battery for drones. Lyten previously announced a contract with the Defense Innovation Unit to demonstrate Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries on the International Space Station, slated for launch later this year. Lyten’s ultra-lightweight solution is now achieving over 3000 cycles for satellite applications.
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Lyten Announces Next-Generation Drone Propulsion Initiative to Support US National Security Needs with American-Made Lithium-Sulfur Batteries, source
