SION POWER TARGETS DRONE WARFARE GAP WITH 500 WH/KG LITHIUM-METAL BATTERIES

SION POWER TARGETS DRONE WARFARE GAP WITH 500 WH/KG LITHIUM-METAL BATTERIES

PR Newswire

Licerion® Strike™ and Echo™ cells deliver 2-3x longer flight, over 50% more payload and 30% weight reduction for unmanned military systems

TUCSON, Ariz., April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sion Power, a developer and manufacturer of next-generation battery technology, today announced two lithium-metal battery cells purpose-built for unmanned military systems, delivering energy density exceeding 500 Wh/kg. This enables combat drones to fly two to three times longer, carry over 50% more payload and operate from lighter airframes than systems powered by conventional lithium-ion batteries.

As unmanned systems take on a wider range of mission roles like reconnaissance, strike, logistics and swarm operations, the energy available per unit of battery weight directly determines platform capability.

Licerion’s lithium-metal anode chemistry surpasses even the latest advancements in lithium-ion cells by more than 50% in energy density, enabling:

  • 2–3x longer flight duration
  • 50%+ higher payload capacity
  • 30%+ reduction in battery system weight

Two Products Built for Modern Warfare

  • Licerion Strike – Primary Cell
    Licerion Strike is a high-performance, primary cell for loitering munitions, tube-launched ISR assets, high-speed reconnaissance drones, and one-way attack platforms. Its 6C discharge rate supports aggressive maneuvers and high-power terminal sequences without thermal derating.
  • Licerion Echo – Rechargeable Cell
    Licerion Echo is for fixed-wing ISR, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) configurations, maritime surveillance, and autonomous swarm elements operating without forward-charging infrastructure. It maximizes loiter time and operational radius in mission-critical applications.

A Structural Advantage for U.S. Defense
Developed and manufactured in Tucson, Arizona, Sion Power is one of the few domestic sources of advanced battery technology at this performance level, directly aligned with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) sourcing requirements and efforts to reduce dependence on foreign-controlled supply chains.

“Every major drone program today is battery-constrained, and adversaries know it. You can optimize the airframe, the sensor, the autonomy stack, but if the energy budget runs out, the mission fails,” said Pamela Fletcher, CEO of Sion Power. “The lithium-ion plateau is real, and the industry has been incrementally improving a 30-year-old chemistry while mission requirements have outpaced it. Licerion Strike and Echo were built from first principles to solve a different physics problem entirely, and doing it here in the United States, at scale.”

Commercial Readiness
Sion Power is currently working with defense and aerospace partners on product demonstrations, system integration, and qualification programs, with initial shipments expected to begin in Q3 2026.

About Sion Power
Sion Power is a U.S.-based developer of next-generation lithium-metal battery technology designed to deliver substantially higher energy density than conventional lithium-ion solutions. Its Licerion® platform is purpose-built for high-performance applications across defense, aerospace, and advanced mobility markets. For more information visit www.sionpower.com

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SOURCE Sion Power