Amprius Technologies has secured up to $75 million from the Pentagon to build domestic production of energy-dense battery cells for military drones. The company will retrofit an existing U.S. facility for high-volume manufacturing and has contracted with Indiana startup Caminus to produce batteries for approximately 60,000 combat drones in the first half of next year, with plans to scale to 800,000 battery packs annually.
The grant, issued through the Department of Defense's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, targets a critical gap in the U.S. defense supply chain. Amprius CEO Tom Stepien said the funding will "establish a primary source of domestic, NDAA-compliant battery production."
NDAAA compliance—requiring U.S. manufacture under the National Defense Authorization Act—functions as a competitive moat. It restricts access to defense procurement contracts to domestic producers, shutting out foreign manufacturers regardless of cost or performance advantages.
The production line will serve Group 1, 2, and 3 drone platforms, ranging from small handheld systems to medium-sized unmanned aircraft. Advanced drone batteries must deliver higher energy density to extend flight time and increase payload capacity without adding weight—performance gains that justify premium pricing in defense contracts where operational capability trumps cost sensitivity.
The deal expands Amprius' existing defense manufacturing relationships and locks in capacity for NDAA-compliant pouch cells, strengthening its position in a supply chain where domestic sourcing is now a non-negotiable requirement for customers.
