Global Ordnance has signed a master supply agreement with battery manufacturer Sparkz for the production of drone battery packs for the US military.
The agreement will establish a fully domestic manufacturing supply chain for high-energy-density drone batteries, including the source materials and assembly.
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Sparkz will manufacture and supply the batteries, while Global Ordnance will manage sales and distribution through its defence customer and distribution networks.
According to Global Ordnance, the batteries will be compliant with the US National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA).
The packs will be configurable for different uncrewed systems and their power requirements.
The agreement covers an initial 210,000 battery packs for US military drones, with the first batteries expected to be available in early 2027.
Full manufacturing capacity is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of the year.
Global Ordnance president Jeffrey Brunozzi said: “Putting more drones into service requires a dependable supply of the components that keep them flying. Batteries are central to that equation, and high energy density power supplies are critical for the missions they serve.
“This partnering agreement brings Sparkz US battery manufacturing together with our understanding of defence customers’ operational requirements to build a fully domestic source they can plan around.”
The agreement was signed during the Association of the US Army’s AUSA 2026 event. It comes as the US Department of War places greater emphasis on domestic sourcing for drone components and on expanding industrial capacity for unmanned systems.
Global Ordnance said forecasts for 2027 point to demand for approximately one million drones, with requirements expected to increase beyond that year.
The company did not provide a breakdown of the forecast or specify how many of the battery packs would be allocated to particular platforms.
The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program supply chain framework calls for progressively stricter sourcing requirements, with the stated objective of establishing a wholly domestic supply chain for small drones.
The companies said the agreement is intended to address supply of critical components required to sustain drone operations, in addition to the production of complete aircraft.
