Tactical Power Challenge: Empowering the Future of Military Forces

The UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) has officially unveiled its Tactical Power Challenge, an initiative designed in collaboration with the British Army and supported by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). This innovative challenge seeks to identify and develop solutions aimed at enhancing the generation, storage, distribution, and management of electrical power for deployed military forces.

Collaboration with Australian Partners

This endeavour is being conducted in partnership with Australia’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA). The challenge invites a range of technological innovations, from advanced energy storage systems and rapid charging mechanisms to novel power generation solutions. In an era where modern military operations increasingly depend on electrically powered systems—such as communication tools, uncrewed vehicles, sensors, electronic warfare apparatus, counter-UAS technologies, and edge computing—the Army is in urgent need of innovative approaches that can deliver flexible, resilient, and deployable energy solutions.

UKDI is enthusiastic about the launch of the Tactical Power Challenge, which is designed to spur technological advancements that will support future military operations. This initiative aligns with ongoing efforts in both the UK and Australia to modernise tactical power capabilities for forces deployed in the field.

Understanding the Tactical Power Challenge

The Tactical Power Challenge consists of two interrelated opportunities. The first, titled Innovative Tactical Power Solutions, is a two-stage funded competition targeting technologies currently at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4 to 6. The funding available for this competition amounts to £2.45 million (excluding VAT). Innovators whose technologies meet the criteria will undergo a staged assessment, with the possibility of receiving funding to further develop and demonstrate their solutions. This project is anticipated to conclude by March 2028.

The second opportunity, Immediate Power Problem, is a non-funded market engagement activity that seeks established technologies at TRL 6 or above, which can meet current operational demands. Innovators with particularly promising solutions may be invited to partake in future Army trials and experimentation activities within the UK.

Insights from Defence Leaders

John Cunningham, the Director of Innovation for UK Defence Innovation, emphasised the critical importance of reliable and deployable power in maintaining operational advantage. He noted that as Defence faces increasingly complex environments, the need for innovative technologies that offer resilient and flexible electrical power solutions becomes paramount. Cunningham highlighted the essential role of British industry in delivering the capabilities required by the Armed Forces and expressed optimism about the challenge’s potential to identify and develop sovereign technologies that enhance operational energy resilience, support deployed personnel, and bolster the UK’s defence innovation ecosystem.

What Innovations Are Being Sought?

The British Army is keen to discover innovative solutions that enhance the provision, storage, recharge, distribution, and management of electrical power across tactical environments. Areas of interest include:

• Safer alternatives to lithium-ion battery chemistries offering equal or greater energy density
• High-speed charging technologies
• Innovative electrical power generation systems
• Power storage, management, and distribution solutions
• Technologies facilitating silent operation and reducing logistical burdens
• Soldier-carried and localised power generation capabilities
• Integrated tactical power systems and enabling components

Both complete systems and individual components are encouraged, with the expectation that solutions will support distributed operations, allowing commanders to manage electrical power as a deployable resource across dispersed formations.

The Imperative for Change

Research and experimentation by the British and Australian Armies have revealed a substantial increase in power requirements on the battlefield, largely driven by the integration of modern digital and autonomous capabilities. Existing power systems heavily rely on fuel-powered generators, which often present challenges such as noise, transportation difficulties, and constraints related to fuel resupply. Future military forces will need more adaptive, survivable, and resilient approaches to power generation and storage.

Innovative solutions developed through this challenge have the potential to enhance future military operations by:

• Enabling silent power generation and storage
• Extending battlefield endurance
• Reducing dependence on fuel resupply
• Supporting autonomous and robotic systems
• Enhancing power resilience for command-and-control functions
• Boosting operational effectiveness in dispersed environments

Potential for Exploitation

Technologies selected through the Tactical Power Challenge may inform future defence procurement and capability development activities. With the British Army’s requirement for over 4,000 Lightweight Field Generators, there is a clear impetus to modernise tactical power solutions as existing systems near their end of service. Successful innovations could therefore pave the way for significant opportunities in future capability acquisition and operational deployment.

International Collaboration and Key Dates

This challenge is being executed alongside the Australian ASCA Land Distributed Tactical Power Management Challenge. Submissions may be shared with the Australian Department of Defence for evaluation, and outputs from funded projects could also be shared with defence partners in Australia and the United States under appropriate information-sharing agreements.

Key dates for participants include:

• Stage 1 opens: 12 noon (GMT) Thursday 15 October 2026
• Stage 1 submission deadline: 12 noon (GMT), 10 November 2026
• Stage 2 submissions: by invitation only
• Demonstration activities completed by: March 2028

Invitation to Innovators

Do you possess an innovative technology that could provide the Army with resilient, deployable, and operationally relevant power? Interested parties are encouraged to review the full competition document and submit a proposal through the UKDI Online Submission Service, contributing to the future of military power solutions.