Amprius Wins $75M DoW Grant for Military Drone Batteries — SkimNews
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- Department of War awarded Amprius Technologies a $75 million grant to convert a civilian EV battery production line into high-energy-density battery manufacturing for military drones (Group 1, 2, and 3 unmanned aerial systems).
- The grant was issued through DoW's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program (IBAS), which funds domestic manufacturing capabilities deemed critical to national security and defense.
- The converted production line is operated by "a major South Korean manufacturer" in the US, with the project combining $75 million from DoW plus $25 million from other sources for a roughly $100 million total.
- Amprius CEO Tom Stepien said the grant establishes "a primary source of domestic, NDAA-compliant battery production" and positions the company to accelerate adoption of standardized high-performance pouch cells.
- The converted line is expected to produce 12 million Amprius cells annually, with completion of the conversion planned for early 2028.
- In 2024, Amprius received a $15 million order from an anonymous "leading Unmanned Aircraft System manufacturer" — a customer the company has still never publicly identified.
Why it matters: The conversion funnels $75 million in federal funds plus $25 million from other sources into scaling domestic production of NDAA-compliant drone batteries to 12 million cells annually by early 2028 — a concrete capacity milestone for Amprius' pivot from civilian EV batteries to defense, secured through an unnamed South Korean manufacturer's existing US-based line.
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